Verbier renews its audience
The 22nd edition of the Verbier Festival brought together the greatest classical artists of the moment. Organizers estimate the total number of visitors at 41,000, 11,000 of whom took part in the many free events offered each day.
Buoyed by clement weather, the Verbier Festival ended on August 2 with a Liszt and Bartók concert, conducted by Charles Dutoit, after 17 uninterrupted days of music.
A number of concerts marked this 22nd edition: Esa-Pekka Salonen and Joyce DiDonato (July 17), Valery Gergiev (July 23), Thomas Quasthoff (July 24), among others. Alongside the paying concerts, the Orchestras and Music Camp rehearsals and the Academy master classes were a great success, in particular Tim Caroll's opera rehearsals, Thomas Quastoff's singing rehearsals and András Schiff's master class, the real highlights of this 22nd edition.
In terms of attendance, this 22nd vintage was a good one. Among the positive aspects was the renewal of the regional audience from the Valais and French-speaking Switzerland, for whom the Verbier Festival is increasingly becoming a must-see summer event. Large numbers of spectators also followed the Festival on the Internet, and the concerts broadcast live on Medici.tv shattered all records. Valery Gergiev's concert, in particular, was followed live by 34,000 viewers.
The next edition will take place from July 22 to August 7, 2016.
