Just like every season, we invite you to enjoy exceptional musical moments in an enchanting panorama
- unforgettable musical meetings in the grandiose setting of the Valais Alps
- high-level concerts which punctuate the summer and winter tourist seasons, such as the dazzling gala concert on New Year’s Day with the Scala Orchestra of Milan and world-renowned soloists
- prestigious Master Classes to promote a new generation of quartets which will soon shine on major international stages.
In a few words: Crans-Montana Classics is the enchantment of music and the euphoria of the peaks, a perfect symbiosis between Art and Nature.
A word from our President Gérard Bagnoud
“Music and love are the wings of the soul.”
I hope that this sentiment, so beautifully expressed by Hector Berlioz, will set the tone for our 2020 programme. At Crans-Montana Classics, we believe that music and love are the only truly universal languages. We are therefore proud to present a series of musical encounters that speak directly to the heart, running from January through to April.
For several years, CMClassics has been bringing incredible music to the Haut-Plateau. Our events and concerts are appreciated by ever-increasing numbers of music lovers. These occasions have elevated Crans-Montana’s cultural standing, attracting local residents and visitors of all ages from a variety of backgrounds. Music has an extraordinary power to bring people together, and I am proud to be a part of it.
Alongside the entire Crans-Montana Classics team, I am looking forward to welcoming you to the Haut-Plateau this winter, and I would like to thank our Patrons, Sponsors and Friends for their generosity and tireless loyalty.
Yours truly,
Gérard Bagnoud
A word from our musical Director Michael Guttman
For the first few months of 2020, Crans-Montana is bringing Vienna to the mountains!
In accordance with Viennese tradition, we are presenting a wonderful New Year’s Day concert with an extraordinary soloist, Khatia Buniatishvili, who has played in some of the biggest concert halls in the world. And, as per our own tradition, the Cameristi della Scala di Milano will also be returning to the stage for this unmissable seasonal event.
Encouraged by the success of the past two years, Crans-Montana Classics is bringing back its family concert (free entry for children!) on 2 January with a surprise sequel to the story of Peter and the Wolf.
Our February Festival, an audience favourite, will pay tribute to “Vienne la Magnifique” with a series of four concerts dedicated to the musical legacy of Vienna, which has dominated the world stage for more than 200 years.
Drawing on its past as an imperial capital, Vienna is a diverse and exciting musical destination. From Mozart’s Eine kleine Nachtmusik to Schoenberg’s Verklärte Nacht—with a tribute to Beethoven for his 250th birthday, a nod to Johann Strauss and an operetta by Franz Lehar with Laure Barras—the February programme will also explore the Hungarian and gypsy melodies of Budapest and beyond, as well as the impact of Austrian composers on Hollywood.
Our Easter concert, another new tradition, will showcase local talent with a Bohemian-inspired programme conducted by Sébastien Bagnoud.
I wish you all a happy new year and an excellent 2020,
Zum Wohl ! Santé ! Salute ! Cheers !
Michaël Guttman