Frank Cadenhead, Nov. 30, 2022
Starting with the opening on June 28, the Rencontres Musicales d’Evian will likely have a higher profile among festivals around Lake Geneva (Lac Léman in French). The violin star Renaud Caupçon has just been named Artistic Director and it will take place in Evian-les-Bains. The hall, La Grange au Lac, is undergoing a seven month restoration and an enlargement of the stage. It will not be by accident that the first concert on the new stage will be by the Berlin Philharmonic with Zubin Mehta on the podium. This will begin the 30th year of the festival.
In an interview, Caupçon reflected on his first encounter, at 18, with the Rencontres Musicale, at the time directed by Mstislav Rostropovich. His master class with Jaime Laredo was an opportunity to enjoy the program, the location, the performers and the mix of generations. This experience Caupçon hopes to repeat with grand stars like Yo-Yo Ma, Leonidas Kavakos, Martha Argerich, Daniel Harding, Tugan Sokhiev and others to associate with the young performing talent in Andràs Schiff’s program, Building Bridges, the Menuhin Academy and the Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra among others. “For the public it will also be a pleasure to discover new faces and to see new talent emerging.” he said.
Caupçon is also Artistic Director of the Chamber Orchestre of Lausanne and the Sommets Musicaux in Gstaad, high in the Swiss Alps. Details of the 2023 festival in Evian can now be found at lagrangeaulac.com.