Festival for New Music Forum Valais

At the beginning of March, the Upper Valais will once again be transformed into a hotspot for new music: Swiss and international acts will provide a fascinating insight into the diverse work of the contemporary music scene in a concentrated form.

This year's festival will take place over three weekends and a total of eight days: experimental chamber music concerts will be held at Leuk Castle (March 1 and 2), acousmatic concerts at MEbU (Münster Earport) in Goms (March 8, 9 and 10), and concerts focusing on newly illuminated folk songs with the Upper Valais Folk Song Choir in Kippel, Eischoll and Reckingen on March 15, 16 and 17.

The 17th edition of the festival will feature Swiss free jazz greats Manuel Mengis and Hans-Peter Pfammatter, Flo Stoffner, Lionel Friedli, Isa Wiss, Klara Germanier, Conradin Peter Zumthor, Yannick Barman, Cyril Régamey, Ensemble ö!, Leuker writer Rolf Hermann and Spanish percussionist Luis Tabuenca in a trio with Ulrike Mayer-Spohn and Javier Hagen.

Ars Electronica

The Ars Electronica Forum Valais Selection Concerts, which will take place for the 9th time in 2024 and are curated and performed by Simone Conforti (IRCAM Paris), will take place for the second time at the MEbU (Münster Earport) in Goms. 23 new works by 25 composers from 17 countries will receive their world premiere or Swiss premiere.

The Forum Valais is an international festival for new music that takes place annually in Valais. Since 2006, the Forum Valais has co-produced over 300 world premieres and presented works by over 500 composers from all over the world, including Stockhausen's Helicopter string quartet together with the Arditti Quartet, André Richard and Air Glaciers, Holligers Alp-Cheer and Cod.Acts Pendulum Choir. Regular guests at the festival include ensembles such as Ensemble Recherche, Klangforum Wien, UMS'nJIP and Ensemble Modern.

The complete festival program is available online at http://forumwallis.ch to find.