HUMILITY as a state of mind in music
Cycle “Change I” 2023 – 2025
The 67th edition of Gstaad Menuhin Festival & Academy is dedicated to the topic HUMILITY and marks the first year of our upcoming 3-year “Change” cycle (2023 – 2025). Humility as a state of mind in music, as well as in the context of our time will be the central topic during the seven weeks of the Festival, with the music of J.S. Bach playing a central role, both with his actual works, but also as a source of inspiration and role model for others.
Three concerts as part of the “Music for the Planet” concert series by Patricia Kopatchinskaja, will highlight the humility of humankind in the face of nature and its changes. The Artist in Residence, Swiss pianist Francesco Piemontesi, will also perform a spectrum of several concerts. Conductor Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla will support the team of professors during one of the Gstaad Conducting Academy weeks, as well as conduct a programme of the Gstaad Festival Orchestra. Jaap van Zweden will lead performances of Mahler’s epochal Symphony Nr. 2, the “Resurrection Symphony”, as well as Shostakovich's Symphony No. 9. Guest orchestras include the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, or ensembles such as the Bavarian Radio Choir or the Gaechinger Cantorey. A concertante production of Puccini’s Tosca with soprano Sonya Yoncheva in the title role is being staged in collaboration with the Festspielhaus Baden-Baden. Major debuts will be given by pianist Mitsuko Uchida, pianists Arthur & Lucas Jussen and soprano Pretty Yende, among others. Besides the approximately 60 concert events, there will once again be four academies, around ten academy concerts and numerous children’s, youth, and amateur projects.
It is our intention to use the inspirations and impulses of our programme to encourage our audience to reflect on and discuss the meaning of humility and to share a sensitive, inspiring, and delightful summer full of musical pleasure with the 67th Gstaad Menuhin Festival & Academy from 14 July to 2 September 2023.
Experience international stars of classical music in the picturesque churches of Saanenland, as well as symphonic concerts on the stage of the Festival Tent in Gstaad.
Visitors are expected to appreciate the character of the festival and to reflect it in their attire. In order to respect the dignity of the churches, visitors should avoid shorts and sandals.
The Destination Gstaad is an excellent starting point for many excursions to sights in the immediate vicinity. Click here to explore a few recommended sights worth visiting, that can be conveniently visited by car or train within one or two hours.
The Destination Gstaad is located in the south-west of Switzerland right on the border to the French-speaking part of the country. The Destination is easily accessed by rail or car from the regions around Lake Thun and Lake Geneva and the Gruyere region. Direct connections to the European high-speed rail network and all international airports in Switzerland guarantee a time-saving and pleasant journey.
Travel by air
Via Zurich-Kloten: From Zurich-Kloten Airport, Gstaad can be reached in approximately 2.5 hours by car and 3:15 hours by rail.
Via Geneva-Cointrin: From Geneva-Cointrin, Gstaad can be reached in 2 hours by car and 3 hours by rail.
Swiss Travel System
Straight from Paris, Milano, Hamburg & Co. right to the heart of the Alpine nation – comfortably and several times daily. Most international trains offer dining cars or a bistro, power outlets and newspaper service. Thus, the visitor’s holidays in Switzerland begin in a perfectly relaxed manner.
Public transport in the Destination Gstaad
The Destination Gstaad benefits from an extensive public transport network, both within the region itself and beyond. The main mode of transport is the "MOB" (Montreux-Oberland Bernois) railway and a number of post bus routes. The MOB links up the villages of Château-d'Oex, Rougemont, Saanen, Gstaad, Schönried, Saanenmöser and Zweisimmen.
At the concerts in the Gstaad Festival Tent, bar and smaller catering is operating before and after the concerts. If you wish to have dinner before or after a concert, a reservation is suggested.
Gastronomic Gstaad is everything you could wish for: hearty and delicious, delectably creative, genuinely regional or international. Visitors can choose from over 100 restaurants – from the finest gourmet restaurants to traditional raclette lodges. Nature offers the best backdrop for enjoying local specialties with a fantastic view. Places to relax, oversized fondue pots and barbecue areas are partly accessible all year round and turn a simple meal into an experience.
The Destination Gstaad has over 40 hotels to satisfy every requirement and need, from all-out rest and relaxation hotels with spa facilities, hiking and golf hotels and specialist family hotels.
The Destination Gstaad caters for every taste with several hundred holiday apartments and chalets. All of them are certified and approved in accordance with Swiss Tourist Association criteria.
