Stockhausen's helicopter over the Valais
The Festival for New Music Forum Valais joins the celebrations of 200 years of Valais and 1500 years of Leuk in May. The Arditti Quartet from London will play Stockhausen's famous and controversial Helicopter String Quartet over the Valais Alps on Whit Sunday.
In addition, the festival presents over 50 other contemporary works and composers from 25 countries, ranging from classical chamber music formations and orchestral concerts to pure electronic music, for which an international competition has been specially organized.
Guest musicians include the Egyptian Contemporary Music Ensemble from Cairo, Spazio Musica Ensemble from Cagliari and Ensemble d'Arts from Valencia, all of whom will be playing in Switzerland for the first time at the Forum Wallis. They will be joined by Steamboat Switzerland with Michael Wertmüller's Time cryThe Mondrian Ensemble with a tribute to the 80-year-old Valais composer Pierre Mariétan, as well as internationally active Valais ensembles.
The IGNM Day will once again take place on Whit Monday: It provides a platform for the Swiss local sections, as well as representatives of the ISCM (International Society of Contemporary Music), the ECPNM (European Conference of Promoters of New Music), the ZENET festival network and delegates from the canton and Swissfestivals to meet and exchange ideas informally.
More info: www.forumwallis.ch
