Gstaad Conducting Academy – Concert I
L'Heure Bleue – Concert for All
Wednesday, 7 August 2024
5.30 pm, Gstaad Festival Tent
The grand opening of the anniversary edition kicks off with the first of three concerts by this year’s Gstaad Conducting Academy: it offers a sneak peek into the creative process of young conductors, who, in their inaugural week, collaborate with a carefully chosen selection from the outstanding Gstaad Festival Orchestra. In a chamber orchestra setting, these accomplished conductors, who emerged victorious among approximately 200 competitors during the application phase, will delve into a varied repertoire featuring excerpts from Beethoven’s symphonies, overtures and the dazzling “Rococo Variations” by Peter Tchaikovsky. The latter will be brought to life by cellist Christopher Jepson, who has been a steadfast soloist with the Gstaad Festival Orchestra since its inception. Make sure not to miss the second part of this week on August 9th at the Saanen Church, where the captivating Menuhin’s Heritage Artist Lucienne Renaudin Vary will grace the stage with her trumpet.
Gstaad Festival Orchestra
Participants of the Gstaad Conducting Academy
Christopher Jepson, Cello
| Luigi Cherubini (1760-1842) | |
| Overture and highlights from the opera “Lodoïska” | 9' |
| Etienne Nicolas Méhul (1763-1817) | |
| Overture to the opera “Joseph” | 7' |
| Claude Debussy (1862-1918) | |
| “Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune” | 10' |
| Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) | |
| Variations on a Rococo Theme in A Major for Cello and Orchestra, Op. 33 | 20' |
| Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) | |
| Symphony No. 5 in C Minor, Op. 67 – Allegro con brio | 6' |
| Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 36 | 32' |
| Gioacchino Rossini (1792-1868) | |
| Overture to the opera “William Tell” | 8' |
| 120' (interval included) | |
| Booking is mandatory – Free admission with a collection |
