Lucerne Festival Spring

The Lucerne Festival Orchestra can not only be experienced in summer, but also attracts classical music fans from all over the world to Lake Lucerne in spring. One week before Easter, on the weekend around Palm Sunday, the musicians open Lucerne's festival year with a three-day celebration of music: Lucerne Festival Spring.

In 2026, the Lucerne Festival Orchestra continues its inspiring Beethoven explorations and performs two very different symphonies under the direction of Riccardo Chailly and Franz Welser-Möst. In the powerful Third, the Sinfonia eroica, Beethoven fights for freedom and equality with fervent idealism. The Fourth, on the other hand, virtually overflows with the joy of playing and life. Yes, in terms of virtuosity, it is perhaps the trickiest of all Beethoven symphonies.

But you can also look forward to two great soloists: the celebrated Norwegian Leif Ove Andsnes plays Mozart's dramatic D minor concerto, while the young violinist Emmanuel Tjeknavorian makes his festival debut with Mendelssohn's captivating violin concerto.

You can also look forward to a chamber music highlight: the legendary Hagen Quartet will end its almost 50-year global career in 2025/26. And because this exceptional quartet is closely associated with our festival - not least as part of the Lucerne Festival Orchestra - its last performance in Switzerland will take place at Lucerne Festival Spring. He will be joined by pianist Kirill Gerstein and the young cellist Julia Hagen, the next generation of the family of musicians.