Lucerne Festival Orchestra

The Lucerne Festival had featured a resident orchestra as far back as 1938, with Arturo Toscanini conducting the first concert of that ensemble.{{cite news | url=http://www.playbillarts.com/features/article/7005.html | title=Lucerne in the Sky with Diamonds | work=Playbill Arts | author=Robert Hilferty | author-link=Robert Hilferty | date=1 September 2007 | accessdate=2007-09-01}} From 1943 until its disbandment in 1993, the festival orchestra consisted primarily of musicians from Switzerland. A few years later, a reconstituted festival orchestra arose, based around players from the Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester and the European Community Youth Orchestra (now the European Union Youth Orchestra).Palmer, Peter, "First Performances: Lucerne Festival" (January 1996). Tempo (New Ser.), 195: {{pp.|25-26}}.

The most recent incarnation of the Lucerne Festival Orchestra occurred at the instigation of Claudio Abbado (1933–2014), after a conversation in 2000 with Lucerne Festival artistic director Michael Haefliger. The core of the ensemble is the Mahler Chamber Orchestra. The LFO features some soloists and orchestral principals from major orchestras in its ranks, including Kolja Blacher, {{ill|Wolfram Christ|de|Wolfram Christ (Musiker)}}, Mirijam Contzen, Diemut Poppen, Natalia Gutman, Jens-Peter Maintz, Jacques Zoon, Reinhold Friedrich, Stefan Dohr, Alessio Allegrini, Mark Templeton, Franz Bartolomey, Alois Posch, Emmanuel Pahud, Albrecht Mayer, Stefan Schweigert, members of the Sabine Meyer Wind Ensemble, the Alban Berg Quartet and Hagen Quartet. The orchestra also includes members of ensembles with whom Abbado had a connection, such as the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, the London Symphony Orchestra and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra.{{cite news | url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2007/08/14/bmlucerne114.xml | title= Electrifying artistry: Lucerne Festival Orchestra | work=Telegraph | author=Geoffrey Norris | author-link=Geoffrey Norris | date=14 August 2007 | accessdate=2007-08-31}}{{dead link|date=July 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2006/aug/23/classicalmusicandopera | title=Lucerne Festival Orchestra/Abbado | work=The Guardian | author=Tom Service | date=23 August 2006 | accessdate=2007-08-31}}

Abbado hand-picked the orchestra members,[https://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/26/arts/26iht-loomis.html?_r=2 Loomis, George "Commanding, time and again", New York Times (August 25, 2009)] and the musicians assemble at the beginning of each August in Lucerne for a total of three weeks together, with 10 days of rehearsals. Then, the orchestra performs the opening concerts of the festival.{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2004/oct/15/3 | title=Follow the leader | work=The Guardian | author=Stephen Everson | date=15 October 2004 | accessdate=2007-08-31}} One overriding philosophy that Abbado emphasized was for the musicians to listen to each other, as in chamber music, but in the context of a full orchestral ensemble.{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2007/aug/14/classicalmusicandopera | title=Lucerne FO/ Abbado Konzertsaal | work=The Guardian | author=Tom Service | date=14 August 2007 | accessdate=2007-08-31}}{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2007/aug/22/classicalmusicandopera.proms2007 | title=The maestro | work=The Guardian | author=Tom Service | date=22 August 2007 | accessdate=2007-08-31}} In the string sections, the section leaders assign the seating, after discussion with Abbado. Rehearsals commence with individual instrument sections before the entire ensemble collects with Abbado.{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/30/arts/music/30waki.html?pagewanted=all | title=Not Just Another Pickup Band | work=New York Times | author=Daniel J. Wakin | date=30 September 2007 | accessdate=2007-10-11}}

Abbado led the first performances of the newest Lucerne Festival Orchestra at the 2003 festival. Their first residency abroad in Rome was in the autumn of 2005. October 2006 brought their first overseas guest performance, which gave a concert in Tokyo at Suntory Hall. The orchestra made its first Proms debut in August 2007, with Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 3.{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2007/aug/24/proms2007.proms | title=Lucerne Festival Orchestra/Abbado (review of Prom 51, 2007) | work=The Guardian | author=Andrew Clements | date=24 August 2007 | accessdate=2007-08-31}}{{cite news | url=http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/music/live_reviews/article2315132.ece | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110517050630/http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/music/live_reviews/article2315132.ece | url-status=dead | archive-date=May 17, 2011 | title=Proms: Lucerne FO/Abbado | newspaper=The Times | author=Richard Morrison | date=24 August 2007 | accessdate=2007-08-31}}{{cite news | url=http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/3492dfce-51d8-11dc-8779-0000779fd2ac.html | title=Lucerne Festival Orchestra, Royal Albert Hall, London | work=Financial Times | author=Richard Fairman | date=24 August 2007 | accessdate=2007-08-31}} Abbado and the orchestra were scheduled to appear in the US for the first time, at Carnegie Hall in New York City, in October 2007. However, in September 2007, Abbado announced that he had to withdraw from these scheduled New York concerts because of health concerns.{{cite news | url=http://www.playbillarts.com/news/article/7025.html | title=Conductor Claudio Abbado Withdraws from Carnegie Hall Season Openers Next Month | work=Playbill Arts | author=Matthew Westphal | date=6 September 2007 | accessdate=2007-09-07}}{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/07/arts/music/07abba.html | title=Abbado, Ill, Cancels Appearances | work=New York Times | author=Daniel J. Wakin | date=7 September 2007 | accessdate=2007-09-07}} The orchestra performed these concerts with substitute conductors Pierre Boulez and David Robertson.{{cite news | url=http://www.playbillarts.com/news/article/7062.html | title=Boulez Replaces Abbado for Lucerne Festival Orchestra's Third Carnegie Hall Concert | work=Playbill Arts | author=Matthew Westphal | date=14 September 2007 | accessdate=2007-09-15}}{{cite news | url=http://www.playbillarts.com/news/article/7077.html | title=David Robertson Replaces Claudio Abbado for Carnegie Hall's Season Openers | work=Playbill Arts | author=Matthew Westphal | date=18 September 2007 | accessdate=2007-09-19}}{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/05/arts/music/05robe.html | title=Orchestra Adjusts to Guest Baton | newspaper=New York Times | author=Anthony Tommasini | date=5 October 2007 | accessdate=2007-10-11}}{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/08/arts/music/08boul.html | title=Be Meticulous With Mahler, and Sentiment Will Follow | newspaper=New York Times | author=James R. Oestreich | date=8 October 2007 | accessdate=2007-10-11}} For the 2014 Lucerne Festival, Andris Nelsons conducted the festival orchestra's concert as the replacement for Claudio Abbado, who died in January 2014.{{cite press release | url=http://www.lucernefestival.ch/documents/140912_MM_LUCERNEFESTIVAL_in_Summer_2014_final_e.pdf | title=Lucerne Festival in Summer ends with a record capacity of 95% | publisher=Lucerne Festival | date=14 September 2014 | accessdate=2015-08-13 | url-status=dead | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150905233739/http://www.lucernefestival.ch/documents/140912_MM_LUCERNEFESTIVAL_in_Summer_2014_final_e.pdf | archivedate=5 September 2015 }}

In August 2015, the Lucerne Festival announced the appointment of Riccardo Chailly as its next music director, effective with the 2016 Lucerne Festival, with an initial contract of 5 years.{{cite press release | url=http://www.lucernefestival.ch/documents/150813_MM_LucerneFestivalOrchestra_d.pdf | title=Riccardo Chailly zum Chefdirigenten des Lucerne Festival Orchestra ernannt | publisher=Lucerne Festival | date=13 August 2015 | accessdate=2015-08-13 | url-status=dead | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150911232935/http://www.lucernefestival.ch/documents/150813_MM_LucerneFestivalOrchestra_d.pdf | archivedate=11 September 2015 }}{{cite news | title=Riccardo Chailly to Take Over Lucerne Festival Orchestra | url=https://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/08/13/riccardo-chailly-to-take-over-lucerne-festival-orchestra/ | work=The New York Times (ArtsBeat blog) | author=Michael Cooper | date=2015-08-13 | access-date=2021-02-12}} In February 2021, the orchestra announced an extension of Chailly's contract as music director through 2026.{{cite press release | url=https://www.lucernefestival.ch/en/blog/extension-of-riccardo-chaillys-contract-as-music-director-of-the-lucerne-festival-orchestra-75 | title=Extension of Riccardo Chailly's Contract as Music Director of the Lucerne Festival Orchestra | publisher=Lucerne Festival Orchestra | date=11 February 2021 | access-date=2021-02-12}}

• Claude Debussy: La Mer, Mahler: Symphony No. 2 (Deutsche Grammophon){{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2004/oct/22/classicalmusicandopera.shopping1 | title=Mahler: Symphony No 2; Debussy: La Mer: Gvazava/ Larsson/ Orfeon Donostiarra/ Lucerne Festival Orchestra/ Abbado | work=The Guardian | author=Andrew Clements | date=2004-10-22 | accessdate=2007-08-31}}
• Anton Bruckner: Symphony No. 9{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/jul/24/bruckner-symphony-no-9-claudio-abbado-review | title=Bruckner: Symphony No 9 review – Claudio Abbado's great last testament | work=The Guardian | author=Andrew Clements | date=2014-07-24 | accessdate=2015-08-13}}

• Gustav Mahler:
• Symphony No. 2 (with the Orfeón Donostiarra, Eteri Gvazava and Anna Larsson)
• Symphony No. 3
• Symphony No. 5
• Symphony No. 6
• Symphony No. 7
• Symphony No. 9
• Claude Debussy: La Mer

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Category:Lucerne Festival

Category:Musical groups established in 2003

Category:2003 establishments in Switzerland

Category:Swiss symphony orchestras

Category:Orchestras in Lucerne