Music festival starts from beginning of “Creation”

Swiss composer, Hanspeter Kyburz will join Elliot Carter as composer-in-residence of the festival Keystone

The prestigious Lucerne Festival has chosen "Creation" as the theme of its month-long series of summer concerts and recitals, beginning on August 15. The world-renowned violinist, Anne-Sophie Mutter, will be this year's star performer.

“Creation” by Haydn as well as the works of the “Prometheus” cycle including Beethoven’s “Geschöpfe des Prometheus” will highlight the theme of this year’s festival.

Creation is the last in the trilogy begun in 1999 with “Myths” and followed last year by “Metamorphoses”.

All in all, there will be 80 events, 28 of which are symphony concerts, over the four weeks.

A cycle of performances of modern works will showcase the compositions of the two composers-in-residence, Elliot Carter and Hanspeter Kyburz.

Anne-Sophie Mutter will perform a recital with a trio and as a soloist with the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra. She will also direct and perform all of Mozart’s violin concerti with the Camerata Salzburg.

In keeping with the theme, the festival will be inaugurated with a giant fireworks display around the Culture and Convention Centre, where many of the concerts will be given. In the words of the festival organisers, it will be a “truly Promethean fire”.

swissinfo