Verbier Festival
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The Verbier Festival & Academy is an international music festival that takes place annually in the mountain resort of Verbier, Switzerland. Founded by Martin Engstroem, a former director of Deutsche Grammophon in 1994, it attracts the highest level of international soloists to perform for 2 weeks in late July and early August. James Levine is music director of the UBS Verbier Festival Orchestra concurrent with also serving as music director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and of the New York Metropolitan Opera. Some of the most invaluable artists of our time have performed regularly through the 14-year long history of the Verbier Festival & Academy, such as Evgeny Kissin, Martha Argerich, James Levine as conductor and pianist, Mischa Maisky, Thomas Quasthoff, Sarah Chang, Leif Ove Andsnes and Emanuel Ax. There is also an educational programme for exceptionally talented young instrumentalists and singers, directed by Christian Thompson, hence the name Verbier Festival & Academy.
In 2007, the festival runs from 20 July to 5 August and includes performances by Zubin Mehta, Hilary Hahn, Lang Lang, Evgeny Kissin, Joshua Bell, Steven Isserlis, Thomas Quasthoff, and Renee Fleming. The Academy includes masterclasses by Zakhar Bron, Ana Chumachenco, Gabor Takacs-Nagy, Heinrich Schiff, Dmitri Bashkirov and Teresa Berganza.
