Lucerne Festival
Executive and Artistic Director (1999–2025)
During his 26-year tenure as Executive and Artistic Director, Michael Haefliger transformed Lucerne Festival into one of the world’s leading forums for classical and contemporary music. Through visionary artistic initiatives, innovative concert formats and sustainable institutional developments, he shaped the festival’s international profile and significantly expanded its global influence.
Among the defining milestones of his leadership are:
Thematic Festivals
One of the hallmarks of Haefliger's artistic vision was the introduction of annually changing thematic festivals, connecting musical programming with philosophical, cultural and societal ideas. Themes included Myths – Metamorphoses – Creation (1999–2001), PrimaDonna (2016), Identity (2017), Power (2019) and Diversity (2022).
Lucerne Festival Orchestra
Together with Claudio Abbado, Michael Haefliger founded the Lucerne Festival Orchestra in 2003. The ensemble quickly established itself as one of the world's most distinguished festival orchestras. Since 2016, Riccardo Chailly has continued to build on this remarkable artistic legacy.
Lucerne Festival Academy
The establishment of the Lucerne Festival Academy set new international standards in the education of young musicians dedicated to contemporary music. Following Pierre Boulez, Wolfgang Rihm assumed the artistic leadership of the Academy in 2016.
Lucerne Festival Ark Nova
Developed in collaboration with architect Arata Isozaki and artist Anish Kapoor, Lucerne Festival Ark Nova became the world's first inflatable mobile concert hall. Conceived in response to the 2011 tsunami catastrophe, it brought music to communities in affected regions of Japan before later being presented in Tokyo and Lucerne.
40min – A New Concert Format
With the free concert series 40min, Lucerne Festival introduced an innovative format designed to make classical music more accessible. Short concerts, personal introductions by the artists and an informal atmosphere attracted new and diverse audiences.
Lucerne Festival Contemporary Orchestra (LFCO)
The founding of the Lucerne Festival Contemporary Orchestra (LFCO) created a unique international ensemble dedicated exclusively to contemporary music. It brings together outstanding alumni of the Lucerne Festival Academy with leading performers of today's music.
Lucerne Festival Forward
Launched in autumn 2021, Lucerne Festival Forward provides a platform for new artistic perspectives. Curated by the Contemporary Leaders, the festival explores the intersections of music, technology, performance and current social issues.
Lucerne Festival Piano Fest
Together with Igor Levit, Michael Haefliger established the Lucerne Festival Piano Fest as a new annual focus on the art of piano performance. The festival brings together internationally acclaimed pianists, emerging artists and innovative concert formats while celebrating the instrument's extraordinary versatility.
International Touring
Since 2005, the Lucerne Festival Orchestra has represented the festival on international tours to major musical capitals including Rome, Tokyo, Vienna, Beijing, Shanghai, New York, Paris and Madrid. These initiatives have shaped the development of Lucerne Festival for more than two decades. They strengthened the promotion of young artistic talent, opened new horizons for contemporary music and created lasting institutional structures that continue to define the festival today.
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