90th birthday of Claudio Abbado

Today, 26 June 2023, the charismatic Italian conductor Claudio Abbado would have celebrated his 90th birthday. We miss him deeply. Yet we may take comfort in the fact that "his works follow him," to quote the phrase from the Book of Revelation that Brahms set to music in the final movement of his German Requiem.

As the founder of several orchestras, Abbado left an unparalleled mark on the musical life of today. The Lucerne Festival Orchestra in particular, which he founded 20 years ago, is a flagship of international musical life: an orchestra in which friendship rather than rivalry prevails. Even when these musicians perform large-scale works, they bring out a chamber music-like intimacy, listening attentively to one another and playing off each other's phrasing. With this ensemble, Abbado has given Lucerne a true orchestral paradise. And, in keeping with the theme of the 2023 Summer Festival, it will once again inspire us this year with paradisiacal musical experiences.

Grazie mille, caro Claudio!