Lucerne's International Music Festival has signed a three-year partnership agreement with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. The accord comes into effect in 2001 and will include concerts and educational programmes in Lucerne.

Lucerne's International Music Festival has signed a three-year partnership agreement with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. The accord, which comes into effect in 2001, is for a series of concerts and educational programmes in Lucerne.

Under the leadership of CSO Music Director Daniel Barenboim, the orchestra will present three concerts each year at the festival in September 2001, 2002 and 2003.

"When the CSO visited the Lucerne Festival in 1998, we were extremely impressed with the high quality of music and the wonderful acoustics in the city's newly-constructed concert hall, as well as the great natural beauty of Lucerne's surroundings," said CSO President Henry Fogel.

"We are thrilled not only to have the opportunity to return to the festival, but to be able to expand our presence there with additional concerts and educational programmes," Fogel added.

Michael Faefliger, Director of the Lucerne Festival, said: "I'm delighted to build a relationship with one of America's great orchestras and am looking forward to a fruitful partnership that will not only present the CSO in Lucerne, but will also embrace an exchange of ideas and projects in Chicago."

The theme of the 2000 Lucerne Music Festival is "Metamorphoses". It begins on August 17.

From staff member Richard Dawson.

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