68th Menuhin Festival Gstaad & Academy

68th Gstaad Menuhin Festival & Academy I 12 July – 31 August 2024 | TRANSFORMATION – Cycle “Change II”

What kicked off in 1957 with two concerts by the legendary violinist Yehudi Menuhin at the Saanen Church has now blossomed into one of Switzerland’s grandest classical music events: Gstaad Menuhin Festival & Academy. Artistic Director Christoph Müller has steered the Festival into the 21st century, blending tradition with innovation, showcasing a mix of renowned stars and emerging talents, and presenting a rich tapestry of chamber music and symphonic events. With over 60 concerts held in the enchanting and acoustically remarkable churches of Saanenland, Pays-d’Enhaut and Obersimmental, as well as beneath the Gstaad Festival Tent, the event offers a diverse musical experience. The addition of high-quality masterclasses further enriches the Festival’s offerings.

After delving into aspects of “Humility” as part of the 2023 programme, Gstaad Menuhin Festival & Academy continues its three-year programme cycle with the second chapter: TRANSFORMATION. The Festival is thereby devoted to capturing the inevitable global changes across various societal realms – in environmental concerns, social dynamics, questions circling around economical and technological development, spirituality, or any forms of art. The topic of TRANSFORMATION is presented through various parts of the programme, including concerts swinging under the headlines of Trans-Mission, Trans-cendence and Trans-Classics. In alignment with the “Mission Menuhin” initiative launched in the summer of 2023, the result is an impressive lineup of about 60 concerts, ranging from intimate recitals to dazzling symphonic evenings in the Gstaad Festival Tent. Additionally, the audience is invited to join in for outdoor events under the new label “Mountain Spirit”, harmoniously combining the foundational elements of our Festival: Music.Nature.You.

Gstaad Menuhin Festival & Academy 2024 beckons with an array of concert highlights. Among them is a carte blanche series featuring four programmes curated by violinist Julia Fischer. The lineup also includes stars such as Jonas Kaufmann and Camilla Nylund, headlining a spectacular Wagner evening. Pianist Hélène Grimaud takes the stage on three evenings, each with a completely different programme, while Yuja Wang delivers a recital. The audience can look forward to pianists such as Sir András Schiff (back in charge of the Gstaad Piano Academy) or Jan Lisiecki, and a stellar cast of violinists including Daniel Hope (with the Zurich Chamber Orchestra), Janine Jansen (showcasing Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto alongside the GFO under Jaap van Zweden) and Vilde Frang (tackling Elgar’s monumental Violin Concerto with the LSO). The 2024 season will also see grand symphonic events beneath the Gstaad Festival Tent, featuring Bruckner’s Seventh with the GFO under Jaap van Zweden, Dvořák’s Seventh with the Budapest Festival Orchestra and Iván Fischer, or Mahler’s “Titan” and Holst’s The Planets performed by the London Symphony Orchestra under Sir Antonio Pappano. Exciting debuts are also just around the corner, including jazz accordionist Richard Galliano and the emerging star of the Baroque scene, Lea Desandre. Adding a unique flavour to the musical landscape, star guitarist Miloš Karadaglić collaborates with the Festival Strings Lucerne, Andrej Hermlin brings his Swing Dance Orchestra to the stage, and the Quatuor Vision presents a fusion of works by Bloch and Shostakovich alongside some jazz, folk, as well as compositions by Bryce Dresner at the Open Air Arena of the Eggli summit at an altitude exceeding 1557 meters … serving as a prelude to a DJ party immediately following the concert! The DDC Dancefloor Destruction Crew also makes a triumphant return to Gstaad with their signature event “Breakin’ Mozart”. The 2024 concert program will be available online starting December 15, 2023.

Pre-sales for the concerts in the Gstaad Festival Tent will begin on December 15, 2023, and tickets can be booked online and at official ticket outlets from that date.

From February 1, 2024, all other concerts can be booked online and at the official ticket agencies.

Tickets can be ordered at gstaadmenuhinfestival.ch or by phone +41 33 748 81 82.

Box office during the festival:

Churches Saanen, Rougemont, Château-d'Oex, Lauenen, Gsteig, Zweisimmen & Boltigen: 1 hour before the concert starts.

Festival tent Gstaad: 1.5 hours before the concert starts

Chapel Gstaad: 30 minutes before the concert starts.