Music Lucerne Festival focuses on curiosity for the 20th anniversary of the Academy
This summer, the Lucerne Festival classical music event is focusing on curiosity for the unknown. Over the past 20 years, the festival has celebrated the desire for the new above all with its Festival Academy, a campus for contemporary music.
13.08.2024, 07:00
SDA
The anniversary of the Lucerne Festival Academy provided the impetus for the "curiosity" theme. Young talents can attend composition and conducting seminars there and rehearse contemporary works.
The Academy was founded in 2004 by French composer Pierre Boulez. Since then, 1500 young talents have attended the summer course. However, the joy of the anniversary is clouded: German composer Wolfgang Rihm died at the end of July at the age of 72; he had taken over as director of the academy in 2016 following the death of Boulez.
One example of a younger and curious musician is cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason, who is the "artiste étoile" of the 2024 festival alongside violinist Lisa Batiashvili. In addition to two classical programs, the Brit, born in 1999, will play older and newer music from South America - including tangos by Astor Piazzolla - on one evening, while on another he will combine music by Johann Sebastian Bach with that of jazz musicians Bill Evans and Pat Metheny.
Closer to the audience
The festival also wants to arouse the public's curiosity with new educational offers. There are to be more welcome addresses for the respective concerts and moderations. In addition, so-called "post-concert talks" will be offered, where artists will answer questions from the audience. Live critique rounds and pre-concerts are also planned.
Lucerne Festival is thus not only implementing a theme, but also continuing its efforts to appeal to a new audience. Proven older formats include the Street Music Festival, the live broadcast of the opening concert in Inseli Park and the free "40 Minutes" concerts.
This year's edition of the Lucerne Festival starts on August 13 with concerts by youth orchestras. It officially opens on August 16 with the Lucerne Festival Orchestra. Major orchestras and classical music stars will perform at the KKL Lucerne until September 15.
