Lucerne Festival Orchestra © Priska Ketterer/Lucerne Festival
Lucerne Festival Orchestra © Priska Ketterer/Lucerne Festival

When this orchestra gets together, it is a true musical celebration! Ever since it was founded in the summer of 2003, the Lucerne Festival Orchestra has featured principals including violinist Kolja Blacher; violists Wolfram Christ and Antoine Tamestit; cellists Jens Peter Maintz, Natalia Gutman, and Julian Steckel; flutists Jacques Zoon and Emmanuel Pahud; clarinetists Sabine Meyer and Alessandro Carbonare; oboists Lucas Macías Navarro and Albrecht Mayer; horn players Alessio Allegrini and Ivo Gass; trumpeter Reinhold Friedrich; trombonist Jörgen van Rijen; timpanist Raymond Curfs; and members of the Sabine Meyer Wind Ensemble, the Alban Berg Quartet, the Hagen Quartet, the Leipzig String Quartet, and many more...

Meet the current members of the orchestra (as of Summer 2024) and learn more about opportunities to support your favourite musician.

  • First Violins

    Gregoy Ahss
    Gregory Ahss Concertmaster | Concertmaster Camerata Salzburg, Concertmaster Lucerne Symphony Orchestra support
    Raphael Christ
    Raphael Christ Concertmaster | First Concertmaster Bochum Symphony Orchestra, Concertmaster Cologne Chamber Orchestra, Orchestra Mozart support
    Cindy Albrecht
    Cindy Albracht Mahler Chamber Orchestra support
    Stefan Arzberger
    Stefan Arzberger Leipzig String Quartet support
    Julia Becker
    Julia Becker Concertmaster Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich support
    Isabelle Briner
    Isabelle Briner Swiss Orchestra, formerly Mahler Chamber Orchestra support
    Alejandro Carreno
    Alejandro Carreño First Concertmaster Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra, first violin Simón Bolívar String Quartet, guest Berlin Philharmonic support
    Yun-Jin Cho
    Yun-Jin Cho assistant concertmaster Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra support
    Iris Juda
    Iris Juda Chamber Orchestra of Europe support
    Manuel Kastl
    Manuel Kastl First concertmaster Staatsphilharmonie Nürnberg (Staatstheater Nürnberg), Orchestra Mozart support
    May Kunstovny
    May Kunstovny Mahler Chamber Orchestra support
    Hildegard Niebuhr
    Hildegard Niebuhr-Candan Mahler Chamber Orchestra support
    Benjamin Peled
    Benjamin Peled Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra support
    Daniel Röhn
    Daniel Röhn support
    Francesco Senese
    Francesco Senese Orchestra Mozart support
    Sayaka Takeuchi
    Sayaka Takeuchi Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich support
    Annette zu Castell
    Annette zu Castell Mahler Chamber Orchestra support
    Yunna Weber
    Yunna Weber Staatskapelle Berlin support
  • Second Violins

    Korbinian Altenberger
    Korbinian Altenberger Principal Second Violins | Concertmaster Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Professor University for Music Wuerzburg support
    Claudia Christ Orchestra Mozart, Badische Staatskapelle Karlsruhe support
    Michiel Commandeur
    Michiel Commandeur Mahler Chamber Orchestra support
    Semion Gavrikov
    Semion Gavrikov Luxembourg Philharmonic support
    Christian Heubes
    Christian Heubes Mahler Chamber Orchestra support
    Paulien Holthuis Mahler Chamber Orchestra support
    Maria Kagan
    Maria Kagan Orquestra Sinfónica do Porto support
    Iason Keramidis
    Iason Keramidis Assistant Concertmaster Munich Philharmonic support
    Pawel Kisza
    Pawel Kisza Principal Second Violin Hamburg Symphony Orchestra support
    Naomi Peters
    Naomi Peters Mahler Chamber Orchestra support
    Johanna Pichlmair
    Johanna Pichlmair Berlin Philharmonic support
    Alexandra Preucil
    Alexandra Preucil Mahler Chamber Orchestra support
    Peter Riehm Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra support
    Kio Seiler
    Kio Seiler Zurich Chamber Orchestra support
    Irina Simon Renes
    Irina Simon-Renes Principal Second Violin Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra support
    Giacomo Tesini
    Giacomo Tesini Professor Conservatorio di Trento, Orchestra Mozart support
    Katatzyna Wozniakowska
    Katarzyna Wozniakowska Mahler Chamber Orchestra support
  • Violas

    Wolfram Christ Principal Viola | Violist and Conductor
    with the support of: a couple from Lucerne
    Maite Abasolo Candamio
    Maite Abasolo Euskadiko Orkestra support
    Tanja Christ formerly Berliner Philharmoniker support
    Veronika Hagen
    Veronika Hagen Hagen Quartet support
    Julio Lopez
    Julio López Munich Philharmonic support
    Beatrice Muthelet
    Béatrice Muthelet Mahler Chamber Orchestra support
    Julia Neher Principal Viola Trondheim Symfoniorkester support
    Raphael Sachs
    Raphael Sachs Assistant Principal Viola SWR Symphonieorchester (Southwest German Radio Symphony Orchestra) support
    Alberto Salomom
    Alberto Salomon Principal Viola Orchestra di Padova e del Veneto, Professor Conservatorio di Rovigo support
    Chaim Steller
    Chaim Steller Principal Viola Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra support
    Pierre Tourville
    Pierre Tourville Assistant Principal Viola Orchestre Métropolitain support
    Jörg Winkler
    Jörg Winkler Principal Viola Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, formerly Principal Viola Mahler Chamber Orchestra support
    Sarina Zickgraf Assistant Principal Viola Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich support
  • Cellos

    Massimo Polidori
    Massimo Polidori Principal Cello | Principal Cello Teatro alla Scala support
    Claudia Benker
    Claudia Benker Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin support
    Paolo Bonomini Principal Cello Camerata Salzburg support
    Iseut Chuat
    Iseut Chuat Soloist support
    Stefan Faludi Mahler Chamber Orchestra support
    Benoit Grenet
    Benoît Grenet Principal Cello Orchestre de Chambre de Paris support
    Sandro Laffranchini
    Sandro Laffranchini Principal Cello Teatro alla Scala support
    Thomas Ruge
    Thomas Ruge Principal Cello Munich Philharmonic support
    Konstanze von Gutzeit Principal Cello Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra support
    Philipp von Steinaecker Mahler Chamber Orchestra support
    Moritz Weigert Mahler Chamber Orchestra support
  • Basses

    Rick Stotijn
    Rick Stotijn Principal Bass | Mahler Chamber Orchestra support
    Paolo Borsarelli Professor Conservatorio Statale “Giuseppe Verdi” di Torino support
    Roberto di Ronza formerly Assistant Principal Bass Munich Symphony Orchestra support
    Johane Gonzalez Seijas Mahler Chamber Orchestra support
    Stepan Kratochvil Munich Philharmonic support
    Burak Marlali Professor Berlin University of the Arts, Principal Bass Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra support
    Axel Ruge Assistant Principal Bass WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne support
    Naomi Shaham Mahler Chamber Orchestra support
  • Flutes

    Jacques Zoon
    Jacques Zoon Principal Flute | Professor Conservatoire de Musique de Genève, formerly Principal Flute Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Boston Symphony Orchestra, and Chamber Orchestra of Europe support
    Rui Borges Mai
    Rui Borges Maia Orquestra de Câmara Portuguesa (Lisbon), Plural Ensemble (Madrid) support
    Pirmin Grehl
    Pirmin Grehl Professor University of Music Karlsruhe, Professor University of Music Lucerne support
    Maurizio Simeoli
    Maurizio Simeoli Conservatorio di Rovigo, formerly Piccolo Teatro alla Scala support
    Chiara Tonelli
    Chiara Tonelli Mahler Chamber Orchestra support
  • Oboes

    Lucas Macias Navarro
    Lucas Macías Navarro Principal Oboe | Soloist, Professor University of Music Freiburg/Br.
    with the support of: a couple from Lucerne
    Ramón Ortega Quero Principal Oboe | Principal Oboe Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra support
    Diana Heidinger
    Diana Heidinger-Curfs Principal Oboe Deutsche Oper Berlin support
    Miriam Pastor
    Miriam Pastor Cor Anglais | Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra support
    Daniel Rodríguez Agúndez ADDA Simfònica Alicante support
  • Clarinets

    Alessandro Carbonare
    Alessandro Carbonare Principal Clarinet | Principal Clarinet Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia – Roma support
    Thomas Holzmann Principal Clarinet | Principal Clarinet Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin support
    Jessica Bessac
    Jessica Bessac Orchestre National de France support
    Jaan Bossier
    Jaan Bossier Mahler Chamber Orchestra support
    Davide Lattuada
    Davide Lattuada Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra support
    Raphael Schenkel
    Raphaël Schenkel Bass Clarinet Bremer Philharmoniker, Codarts Rotterdam, Artistic Director Klanglabor Hechingen support
  • Saxophone

    Femke Ijlstra
    Femke Ijlstra Professor Codarts Rotterdam, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra support
  • Bassoons

    Matthias Racz
    Matthias Racz Principal Bassoon | Principal Bassoon Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, Professor Zurich University of the Arts support
    Guilhaume Santana Principal Bassoon | Mahler Chamber Orchestra support
    Pierre Gomes
    Pierre Gomes da Cunha Conservatoire de la Ville de Luxembourg, IESM d’Aix-en Provence, Verbier Festival Chamber Orchestra support
    Chiara Santi Mahler Chamber Orchestra support
    Simon van Holen
    Simon van Holen Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra support
  • Horns

    Ivo Gass
    Ivo Gass Principal Horn | Principal Horn Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich support
    Florian Abächerli
    Florian Abächerli Principal Horn Lucerne Symphony Orchestra support
    Jose Asensi Marti
    José Miguel Asensi Martí Orquesta Sinfónica de Castilla y León support
    Adrian Diaz Martinez
    Adrián Díaz Martínez Professor Lübeck Academy of Music, Bayreuth Festival Orchestra support
    Tobias Heimann
    Tobias Heimann NDR Elbhilharmonie Orchester support
    Tobias Huber
    Tobias Huber Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich support
    Paulo Muñoz Toledo Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich support
    Jens Plücker
    Jens Plücker Principal Horn NDR Elbhilharmonie Orchestra, University of Arts Bremen support
    Jonathan Wegloop Mahler Chamber Orchestra support
  • Trumpets

    Reinhold Friedrich
    Reinhold Friedrich Principal Trumpet | Professor Karlsruhe University of Music support
    Noemi Makkos
    Noémi Makkos Mahler Chamber Orchestra support
    Matthew Sadler Mahler Chamber Orchestra support
    Stefan Schultz
    Stefan Schultz Principal Trumpet NDR Radiophilharmonie support
  • Trombones

    Jörgen van Rijen
    Jörgen van Rijen Principal Trombone | Principal Trombone Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra support
    Mark Hampson
    Mark Hampson Mahler Chamber Orchestra support
    Daniele Morandini
    Daniele Morandini Principal Trombone Teatro alla Scala support
    Alexander Verbeek
    Alexander Verbeek Principal Trombone Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra support
  • Tuba

    Thomas Keller Staatskapelle Berlin support
  • Timpani

    Raymond Curfs
    Raymond Curfs Principal Timpani Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra support
  • Percussion

    Mathias Friis-Hansen The Royal Danish Orchestra support
    Mark Haeldermans Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra support
    Christian Pilz
    Christian Pilz Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra support
    Gianluca Saveri
    Gianluca Saveri Conservatorio di Musica “Francesco Morlacchi” di Perugia support
    Dirk Wucherpfennig
    Dirk Wucherpfennig Konzerthausorchester Berlin support
    Hans Zonderop
    Hans Zonderop Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra support
  • Harps

    Sarah Christ formerly Vienna Staatsoper, Chamber Musician support
    Sarah Verrue
    Sarah Verrue Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich support
  • Guitar

    Michael Wernick
    Michael Wernicke Freelance Orchestral Musician, Klangforum Heidelberg, ALEPH Guitar Quartet support
  • Mandolin

    Sonja Wiedemer
    Sonja Wiedemer Freelance Musician support
  • Piano

    Enrico Cacciari
    Enrico Maria Cacciari Zurich Opera support