About
Lucerne Festival is one of the leading international festivals in the world of classical music. Lucerne Festival was founded in 1938; since 1999, Michael Haefliger has been its Executive and Artistic Director.
The central festival takes place in summer from mid-August to mid-September and offers a widely varied range of approximately 100 concerts and related events. Each Summer Festival features a guiding theme that runs dramaturgically through the programming. The Festival presents a diverse array of formats, including symphony concerts, chamber music, recitals, debuts, late night events, and much more. Flanking the Summer Festival are short festivals, one each in spring and fall: a spring residency featuring the Lucerne Festival Orchestra and "Lucerne Festival Forward," which takes place in November. "Lucerne Festival Forward" is artistically and conceptually designed by musicians from the Lucerne Festival Contemporary Orchestra (LFCO). In May 2023, a fourth festival will be added. This will be a three-day Piano Festival curated by the pianist Igor Levit. The KKL Luzern, designed by Jean Nouvel and equally renowned for its acoustics and architecture, is Lucerne Festival’s central venue.