Schubertiade aims to conquer German-speaking Switzerland
That's where the Röschtigraben plays: The Schubertiade festival is very popular in French-speaking Switzerland, but hardly known in German-speaking Switzerland. The organizers now want to change that. The event will take place on this side of the divide for the first time. Halfway, at least.
The festival takes place on September 5 and 6 in the old town and city center of the bilingual Bernese metropolis of Biel. Highlights include a gala concert with the Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne and the great Schubert Mass on a town square. Anyone who wants to can sing along.
The language issue is also reflected in the program: For this year's edition, contributions were sought that deal with bilingualism and mediate between German and French in musical and, if necessary, linguistic form.
The Schubertiade has been organized by the public cultural broadcaster Espace 2 as a popular classical music festival since 1978, and is held in a different Swiss city every two years. In Biel, the largest bilingual city in Switzerland, around 1500 musicians will perform 150 concerts at around 15 locations.
More info: www.schubertiade.ch
