Settimane Musicali Ascona

4 September – 11 October 2019

For over 70 years the Settimane Musical di Ascona, one of the most important classical music festivals in Switzerland, present a program that alternates between major symphonic concerts, chamber music and solo recitals. All of the world’s most famous performers have appeared in Ascona at least once, and many have returned many times.

Directed by renowned Swiss pianist Francesco Piemontesi, the program of the 74th Settimane Musicali, from September 4 to October 11, includes eleven main concerts in the evocative churches of San Francesco in Locarno and Collegio Papio in Ascona.

Il ricco cartellone include una delle più celebri coppie della musica classica, Charles Dutoit e Martha Argerich, star come Renaud Capuçon e Marc André Hamelin (in un omaggio ad Alexis Weissenberg), il rinomato Quartetto Emerson, grandi orchestre come la Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra diretta dal giovane ma già acclamatissimo Lahav Shani, la Chamber Orchestra of Europe (che si produrrà in una serata dedicata all’influenza della musica popolare ungherese in compositori come Liszt, Haydn, Bartok,
Directed by renowned Swiss pianist Francesco Piemontesi, the program of the 74th Settimane Musicali, from September 4 to October 11, includes eleven main concerts in the evocative churches of San Francesco in Locarno and Collegio Papio in Ascona.

This edition’s rich bill features the famous duo composed of Charles Dutoit and Martha Argerich, stars such as Renaud Capuçon, Marc André Hamelin (in a tribute to Alexis Weissenberg) or the famed Emerson Quartet, great orchestras such as the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra directed by the young conducting talent Lahav Shani, the Chamber Orchestra of Europe (in an event dedicated to the influence of popular Hungarian music in the work of composers such as Liszt, Haydn, Bartok, Kodaly, and others), the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra (at their first Ascona performance with a fascinating program dedicated to Sibelius and Nordic music), as well as the Orchestra della Svizzera italiana, whose artistic development - under the baton of principal conductor Markus Poschner - was recognised in 2018 by the prestigious International Classical Music Award (ICMA).

Two more concerts, dedicated to young European talent and a free concert for families (promoted by the Associazione degli Amici delle Settimane), round out the program: one new initiative that stands out this year is an extraordinary performance by acclaimed pianist Pierre-Laurent Aimard, who will present Messiaen’s Catalogue d’oiseaux over the course of a special day in four separate venues between dawn and night time. https://www.settimane-musicali.ch

For further information and reservations please call: +41 91 759 76 65 or info@settimane-musicali.ch.

Messiaen on the lakeshore at sunrise...

One of the twentieth century’s most important composers, as well as a pianist and organist, Olivier Messiaen (1908-1992) was also a keen birdwatcher. His passion for ornithology led him to record the songs of French birds, and then to transcribe them, especially for piano. The most famous of these is his Catalogue d’oiseaux, to be performed outdoors at four times of the day. As part of the 74th Settimane Musicali di Ascona, this extremely evocative and rarely performed work will be presented by world-renowned pianist and twentieth-century specialist Pierre-Laurent Aimard, who studied under Messiaen. The first part of the work, which lasts over three hours in total, will be performed at sunrise on the lakefront (at the Lido), the second will be played at midday on Monte Verità, the third at sunset in the churchyard in Ronco Sopra Ascona, and the final part late in the evening at the Church of the Collegio Papio.

Program 2019

Wednesday 4 September Chiesa San Francesco Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra Lahav Shani conductor e piano (Mozart, Bruckner)

Domenica 8 September
Lido Ascona-Monte Verità- RoncoS/Ascona – Chiesa Collegio Papio Pierre-Laurent Aimard piano (Messiaen)

Monday 9 September
Chiesa San Francesco Orchestra della Svizzera italiana Charles Dutoit conductor Martha Argerich piano (Ravel Beethoven Haydn)

Friday 13 September
Chiesa Collegio Papio La Cetra Barockorchester Basel & AVES Ensemble der Schola Cantorum Basiliensis Andrea Marcon conductor (Monteverdi, Vespro Veneziano)

Monday 16 September
Chiesa Collegio Papio Marc-André Hamelin piano (Tedesco, Schumann, Weissenberg, Fauré, Chopin)

Wednesday 18 September
Chiesa San Francesco Chamber Orchestra of Europe Joshua Weilerstein conductor Francesco Piemontesi piano (Hydn, Liszt, Brahms, Bartok, Golijov, Kodaly)

Monday 23 September
Chiesa Collegio Papio Ensemble Zefiro (Mozart)

Friday 27 September
Chiesa Collegio Papio Renaud Capuçon violin Francesco Piemontesi piano (Mozart, Franck)

Wednesday 2 October
Chiesa San Francesco Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra Hannu Lintu conductor Elina Vähälä violin (Fagerlund, Sibelius, Brahms)

Friday 4 October
Chiesa Collegio Papio Quartetto Emerson Paul Meyer clarinet (Mozart, Dvorak)

Friday 11 October
Chiesa San Francesco Orchestra della Svizzera italiana Markus Poschner conductor Pierre-Laurent Aimard piano (Messiaen, Bartok, Haydn)

Special Events

Friday 6 September
Palacinema Locarno Documentary film première with Francesco Piemontesi “Les Annés de Pèlerinage – Italie”

Saturday 21 September
Palazzo Sopracenerina Filippo Gorini piano (Beethoven, Schubert, Schumann)

Saturday 28 September
Palazzo Sopracenerina Alec Frank-Gemmill french horn Daniel Grimwood piano (Brahms, Macmillan, Schumann)

Saturday 5 October
Gran Rex Locarno La storia del diavoletto che voleva essere un angioletto Camerata dei Castelli Free event for children and families

Full programme: https://www.settimane-musicali.ch/Programm