Verbier Festival Highlights 2007
The Verbier Festival, created in 1994, rapidly acquired a reputation for artistic excellence and is now
considered to be among the major European music festivals. During a fortnight each July, the greatest stars of
the classical music world come together against the magical backdrop of the Swiss Alps. The Verbier Festival gives musicians the opportunity to perform original programmes with fellow musicians
they admire, but with whom they may never have performed before.These world première performances
produce innovative and exciting results, as much for artists as for audiences. Through the Academy, the Verbier Festival invests in the talents of young artists, while creating, and promoting
excellence in the performing arts. “In just a few years, the Verbier Festival has built up a reputation for quality, youth and frenetic artistic activity. We are proud regularly to welcome artists who are well-known all round the world, who so enjoy coming to play for us.” Martin T:son Engstroem, Festival Director “Whatever the reason, Verbier attracts great artists and inspires them to new heights, helped by the canny casting of the festival founder and artistic director Martin Engstroem. Martha Argerich… is absolutely astounding in the finale of Bartók's Sonata for Violin and Piano No 1 with a demonically driven Renaud Capuçon. ...Nelson Freire, offers a tender, one might say avuncular, view of Debussy's Children's Corner, a contrast to the glacial Hélène Grimaud in Schumann and Ravel, and Evgeny Kissin's Liebesträume No 3 where love is clearly a cross to be borne (though his Bizet-Horowitz Variations justifiably raise the roof). Rounding off proceedings is a fired-up Joshua Bell in the finale of Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto. Visually, the camerawork is efficient and nothing more.” Gramophone Magazine, 2008 Awards Issue | 
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