Media Release

15 July 2023 – Verbier (Switzerland) – Last night the 30th edition of the Verbier Festival opened in a sold-out Salle des Combins auditorium in Verbier, with Yuja Wang leading the performance with the Verbier Festival Orchestra, conducted by Zubin Mehta.

During the opening speeches, Peter Brabeck-Letmathe – Chairman of the Verbier Festival Foundation Board – had the pleasure of announcing the appointment of Blythe Teh Engstroem to the Verbier Festival board, and as Co-Artistic Director of the Festival alongside Founding Director Martin Engstroem.

Blythe Engstroem is a musician and programmer who first came to Verbier with the creation of the UBS Verbier Festival Orchestra in 2000. Quickly becoming one of the concert masters, Blythe stayed with the Orchestra until 2005 when she became a founding member of the Verbier Festival Chamber Orchestra. From 2021-2023, Blythe served as Interim Artistic Director for the international concert series of Schloss Elmau in Germany. At the Verbier Festival, she has been a driving force behind the Chamber Orchestra since its inception and leads the viola section. Blythe will join Martin and the board to continue the unique trajectory of the Festival and ensure the continuation of the Festival for years to come.

Martin Engstroem said “Blythe is an accomplished musician who has been part of our community of artists for 24 years, and will now step up to assist me in developing programmes for the future. I am very happy that the artistic continuity has been settled and that we can continue to build on what we have achieved so far.”

The Verbier Festival was founded 30 years ago by Martin Engstroem and has since become a world-renowned classical music festival that is an unmissable annual event for artists and audiences alike. Set in the heart of the Swiss Alps every summer, the Festival brings together some of the biggest stars in classical music alongside young emerging talent from around the world.

The Verbier Festival continues until July 30, 2023. A large gala concert will bring together more than 300 artists on the Salle des Combins stage on July 24. A number of the Verbier Festival concerts are available to stream on medici.tv.

The Verbier Festival is a classical music festival that encourages sharing between great musicians and young aspiring artists from around the world. It is committed to excellence in music performance and education through its highly respected artistic programme, its Academy and Orchestra programmes, and UNLTD, its cultural engagement laboratory. The 30th edition of the Verbier Festival will place July 14 to 30, 2023 in Verbier (Switzerland). The Festival is made possible with the generous support of its many private and public sponsors such as Aline Foriel-Destezet, the Association of the Friends of the Verbier Festival, the Commune de Val de Bagnes and through partnerships with Anniversary Sponsor Rolex and Principal Sponsors Bank Julius Baer and SICPA.