Historical review of the master classes in Lucerne

As part of the Lucerne International Music Festival, the forerunner of today's Lucerne Festival, master classes for particularly talented musicians were established in 1943. Until 2003, important artistic personalities came to Lucerne every summer, such as the pianists Edwin Fischer and Géza Anda, the violinists Carl Flesch and Wolfgang Schneiderhan, the cellist Enrico Mainardi and the singer Franziska Martienssen-Lohmann. They and many others taught an international group of students on the premises of the conservatory and passed on their knowledge to the younger generation.

Although some of the masterclasses are well documented, there has been no detailed documentation of the masterclasses to date. For this reason, David Koch, music researcher at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, has comprehensively investigated and archived the history of the masterclasses in Lucerne. Among other things, he explored the question of how the spirit of the times shaped the event and how and through which key personalities the institution has influenced the music scene in the city of Lucerne over the years, as well as its perception and charisma.
 

"The Lucerne Masterclasses are a real success story. Looking back, they are undoubtedly among the most renowned of their kind in Europe," says David Koch. The world elite in attendance at the Music Festival Weeks has made it possible for around 350 masterclasses to take place each year with up to 200 participants, mainly in piano, violin, cello and singing. "The list of lecturers includes almost a hundred names who have often maintained a close relationship with the city and the conservatory beyond the Music Festival Weeks," says Koch. "This is another reason why Lucerne still enjoys a reputation as a world-class city of music."

Although the masterclasses in their former form are now history, the idea lives on as part of the Lucerne Festival Academy. Classes for composition and conducting take place every summer, as well as master classes for piano as part of the Piano Festival and in collaboration with Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts.

The results of David Koch's two-year research project have been published in the series "Lucerne through the ages", which is managed by the Lucerne City Archives.