Media Release

January 15, 2024 — Verbier (Switzerland) — The Verbier Festival, synonymous with artistic excellence, is delighted to unveil the dazzling programme of its 31st edition, which will take place July 18 to August 4, 2024. Once again this year, the Festival brings together a host of international stars and promising young talents to offer an exceptional musical experience. The event will officially begin with an opening ceremony on July 18, 2024, featuring speeches and remarks from public officials, followed by a piano recital with Olivier Cavé, an Italian-Swiss pianist from Martigny, who will perform works by Scarlatti, Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven.

a high-level programme of established and rising stars

The 31st Festival edition will showcase Gustav Mahler with two major symphonies by the composer. The Verbier Festival Orchestra (VFO) will first perform the majestic Symphony No. 3 under the baton of Sir Simon Rattle at the opening concert of July 19, and the following week, present the popular Symphony No. 5, conducted by Klaus Mäkelä.

More renowned conductors and promising young talents will perform alongside prestigious ensembles and soloists, promising unforgettable musical experiences for festivalgoers: James Gaffigan, Daniel Harding, Antonio Pappano, Vasily Petrenko, and Tarmo Peltokoski.

Among the highly anticipated highlights this summer, the Verbier Festival Chamber Orchestra (VFCO), conducted by Gabor Takács-Nagy, will present Mozart’s opera The Marriage of Figaro in concert version on July 20, delighting fans of the lyrical world with an exceptional cast, which includes Peter Mattei, Golda Schultz, Tommaso Barea, Anna El-Khashem, and Rebecca Wallroth. On July 23, the VFCO and a trio of conductors (Sir Simon Rattle, Klaus Mäkelä, and Lahav Shani) will offer an evening centered around Beethoven, with a unique performance of the Triple Concerto followed by a reprisal of Symphony No. 3, released last year in the Beethoven cycle on the Verbier Festival Gold label in collaboration with Deutsche Grammophon. The Verbier Festival Junior Orchestra, conducted by its Music Director James Gaffigan, will perform the Festival’s second opera, Verdi’s Falstaff, with the Verbier Festival Academy’s Atelier Lyrique singers on the Festival’s final afternoon.

The piano also holds a prominent place in the programme with a host of renowned artists: Joaquín Achúcarro, Olivier Cavé, Lucas Debargue, Alexandra Dovgan, David Fray, Mao Fujita, Kirill Gerstein, Alexandre Kantorow, Evgeny Kissin, Yunchan Lim, Bruce Liu, Nikolaï Lugansky, Mikhail Pletnev, Sir András Schiff, Dmitry Shishkin, Nobuyuki Tsujii, Yuja Wang, and Tsotne Zedginidze.

an eclectic programme

For those looking beyond the boundaries of classical music, several concerts will be offered:

On the occasion of Thomas Quasthoff’s 50-year career on stage, this year’s jazz concert will bring together the bass-baritone and saxophonist Magnus Lindgren, trombonist Shawn Grocott, guitarist Wolfgang Meyer, bassist Dieter Ilg, percussionist Wolfgang Haffner, and pianist Simon Oslender.

French-Beninese singer, five-time Grammy Award winner Angélique Kidjo, will perform in a completely unique concert blending French and African songs. The artist will be accompanied by pianist Maki Namekawa and the Appassionato Orchestra conducted by Mathieu Herzog.

South African cellist and singer Abel Selaocoe, known for his virtuosity and ability to blend musical genres, will make his first appearance in Verbier this summer, as will the Noa – Gil Dor duo. Noa, an internationally renowned singer often characterised by folk and pop influences, will deliver Letters to Bach, a project beautifully complemented by the subtle playing and arrangements of guitarist Gil Dor.

academy masterclasses

The Verbier Festival Academy presents close 100 masterclasses that feature the rising crop of the world’s finest solo pianists, violinists, violists, cellists, chamber ensembles and singers. Nearly all of these classes are open to the public and all of them at no charge.  Because of their popularity and limited venue capacities, the Festival encourages advance ticket reservation. Returning faculty include Kirill Gerstein (piano), Pamela Frank (violin), Antoine Tamestit (viola), Frans Helmerson (cello), Gabór Takács-Nagy (chamber music), and Thomas Quasthoff (voice). Joining the faculty for the first time are Máté Szücs (viola), Alisa Weilerstein (cello), and Leo Nucci and Golda Schultz (voice).

ticket information

Tickets for the Festival go on sale January 15 for member of the The Friends of the Verbier Festival, and to the general public on January 29. Classical music enthusiasts are invited to reserve their seats now to ensure access, including to the popular Academy masterclasses, which are free of charge and to which seating is limited.

The Verbier Festival offers an attractive new ticket offer this year with the ‘Flex Pack’, which offers a 10% discount on the purchase of seven to nine tickets and a 15% discount on the purchase of ten or more tickets. Ticket exchanges, subject to availability, are permitted without penalty.  The Festival also maintains its youth rate of CHF 30 for festivalgoers under age 30, and its ‘Bagnard’ rate for residents of the Commune of Val de Bagnes.

UNLTD, the Festival’s creative laboratory, which aims to spark curiosity for music across genres and generations, unveils its programme on February 15.

Discover the Mainstage printed programme of the 2024 edition here

Discover the Mainstage and Academy masterclass programmes online here

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, Academy and community engagement programmes. The next edition of the Verbier Festival will take place July 18 to August 4, 2024 in Verbier (Switzerland). The Festival is made possible with the generous support of its many private and public supporters, including Aline Foriel-Destezet, the Association of The Friends of the Verbier Festival, the Festival’s Chairman’s Circle, the Commune of Val de Bagnes, and the Festival’s Principal Sponsors, SICPA and Reyl Bank.

CONTACT

THE PUBLICISTS (FR/BE/LU)
Thierry Messonnier
+33 (0)6 84 67 84 30
thierry@thepublicists.fr

PREMIER (UK/US/CA)
Rebecca Johns
+44 (0)20 7292 7336 / +44 (0)7715 205 196
rebecca.johns@premiercomms.com

STUDIO ESSECI (IT)
Roberta Barbaro
+39 (0)49 66 34 99
gestione3@studioesseci.net

VERBIER FESTIVAL
Yasmine Deixonne
+41 (0)27 775 24 40
presse@verbierfestival.com