This summer marks a defining moment for the Gstaad Menuhin Festival. Daniel Hope steps into his first season as Artistic Director, succeeding Christoph Müller after 25 years at the helm – a handover that naturally comes with high expectations. Hope inherits not only a festival with a strong identity, but one shaped over decades by a single artistic vision. The question this summer is not whether that legacy remains visible – it will – but where new accents begin to appear, and how they are felt from within.

Rather than asking what audiences should be excited about, we turned the focus inward. What are the people behind the scenes – programmers, producers, long-standing collaborators – most looking forward to in this new chapter? Which concerts do they personally mark in their diaries, and why?

The result is a staff pick that reflects anticipation from those who know the festival best.

Marlène Tschanz
Fundraising & Events Director
I am especially looking forward to the Eggli concerts on Gstaad’s local mountain. Concerts up on the mountain feel like the very heart of the festival to me – with glowing sunsets, cowbells in the background and a unique closeness between audience, artists and team.
Equally special for me is the closing concert with Arcangelo and Jonathan Cohen. Bach’s Mass in B minor stands at the centre of the programme, a work of extraordinary depth and meaning. That Jonathan Cohen will be appearing at our festival for the first time makes this evening even more significant for me.

Mountain Spirit | Eggli Flying Lunch | Guttman Tango Quintet
Sun, 02.08.2026, 11:00, Eggli – Lounge, Gstaad

Mountain Spirit | Pacific Wind Quintet
Wed, 05.08.2026, 19:30, Berghaus Eggli, Covered Terrace

Mountain Spirit | Swing & Electro | David Hermlin Trio
Thu, 06.08.2026, 19:30, Berghaus Eggli, Covered Terrace

Mountain Spirit | Joscho Stephan Trio
Sun, 09.08.2026, 19:30, Berghaus Eggli, Covered Terrace

Celebration | Mass in B minor | Arcangelo & Jonathan Cohen
Sat, 05.09.2026, 20:00, Church of Saanen

Corinne Reuteler
Senior Project Manager, Artistic Operations Office & Ticketing
The opening concert on opening weekend is a very special highlight of the festival for me each year – it marks the moment when all the work that has gone into preparation and planning over many months finally becomes audible and tangible. This is when our festival summer truly begins, with its many venues and the wide variety of concerts that follow.
A particular highlight is always the opera in August. This year, La Bohème is on the programme. For this project, the orchestra and all performers rehearse intensively together on site for up to a week. Witnessing how this focused rehearsal process gradually turns into a complete musical performance and finally reaches the stage is something truly special every time.

Celebration | 70th Anniversary Concert | Mehta & Zukerman
Thu, 16.07.2026, 19:30, Church of Saanen

La Bohème
Fri, 21.08.2026, 19:30, Festival Tent, Gstaad

Lukas Wittermann
Managing Director
Two big symphonic nights with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Vasily Petrenko stand out to me this summer. Mahler’s Symphony No. 5 on 28 August needs no explanation – monumental and intense and forever linked to Visconti’s Death in Venice through its unforgettable Adagietto.
And then Tchaikovsky on 29 August: who doesn’t know those sweeping opening chords of the First Piano Concerto? Followed by the Fifth Symphony – power and lyricism, drama and release. Two concerts that capture exactly what great symphonic music is about.

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra | Vasily Petrenko & Thomas Hampson
Fri, 28.08.2026, 19:30, Festival Tent, Gstaad

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra | Vasily Petrenko & Behzod Abduraimov
Sat, 29.08.2026, 19:30, Festival Tent, Gstaad
 

Larissa Thut Davidson,
Marketing & Communications Director

Three very different piano evenings count among my personal highlights this year. 23-year-old American, one of the Festival’s Next Generation artists, Maxim Lando, will be heard at the Church of Zweisimmen, bringing fresh energy and new perspectives to the piano repertoire. Khatia Buniatishvili returns to the Festival Tent after captivating the audience last year with her powerful stage presence. I am also especially looking forward to Sebastian Knauer at the Church of Lauenen with his programme Between Dream and Light, which promises a truly special evening in the intimate setting of this beautiful church.

Maxim Lando
Tue, 21.07.2026, 19:30, Church of Zweisimmen

Khatia Buniatishvili
Sun, 23.08.2026, 18:00, Festival Tent, Gstaad

Sebastian Knauer
Tue, 25.08.2026, 19:30, Church of Lauenen
 

Alexander Ponet
Executive Assistant to the Artistic Director
My personal pick is Hayato Sumino. I admire him not only for his brilliant playing, but above all for his open and stylistically versatile approach to music. He combines technical mastery with curiosity, moving naturally between classical repertoire, improvisation and contemporary influences. This artistic freedom, together with depth and natural presence, makes his musicianship especially compelling to me.

Hayato Sumino
Mon, 10.08.2026, 19:30, Church of Saanen
 

Arina Kropf
Project Manager Fundraising & Events

I am particularly looking forward to the Sonic Experience with the LGT Young Soloists, where Vivaldi’s and Piazzolla’s Four Seasons are enhanced by visual elements. This immersive concert format offers a new way of experiencing music and opens up a fresh perspective on these well-known works.

Another highlight for me is Peter and the Wolf performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Vasily Petrenko – a musical experience for audiences young and old alike.

Sonic Experience | LGT Young Soloists
Sun, 02.08.2026, 18:00, Festival Tent, Gstaad

Peter and the Wolf | Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Vasily Petrenko
Sun, 30.08.2026, 10:30, Festival Tent, Gstaad

Sarah Tschanz
Project Manager Fundraising & Events

One of my personal highlights each year is the Next Generation concerts at the Chapel of Gstaad, which take place on Saturday mornings. It is always inspiring to encounter young talents who are still at the beginning of their careers and yet already devote themselves to music with such dedication.

This year, I am especially looking forward to the young Swiss violinist Raphael Nussbaumer and to the Spanish saxophonist Sira Pellicer together with Dmitry Batalov.

Raphael Nussbaumer
Sat, 15.08.2026, 10:30, Chapel of Gstaad

Sira Pellicer & Dmitry Batalov
Sat, 29.08.2026, 10:30, Chapel of Gstaad
 

Seraina Jung
Project Manager Gstaad Academy & Gstaad Festival Orchestra

I am particularly looking forward to the concert by the Budapest Festival Orchestra, conducted by Iván Fischer, featuring pianist Isata Kanneh-Mason. Her sensitive yet powerful playing combines inner calm with narrative depth, making this concert one of the highlights of the festival for me.

Budapest Festival Orchestra, Iván Fischer & Isata Kanneh-Mason
Sun, 16.08.2026, 18:00, Festival Tent, Gstaad

Harvey Alexander Dedman
 Apprentice

This year’s festival feels especially promising. There are several new faces I’m genuinely excited to see, but I’m particularly looking forward to the return of Gabriela Montero at the Church of Saanen. Hearing her last year fundamentally changed my perspective on improvisation, and I’m eager to experience how her pianistic artistry has continued to evolve. With such compelling instrumental personalities coming together, I’m deeply intrigued to see what unfolds at this summer’s festival.

Gabriela Montero
Wed, 29.07.2026, 19:30, Church of Saanen