Star-studded string line up at Lucerne Festival benefit concert

To support people affected by the conflict in Ukraine, the Lucerne Festival is organising the Mendelssohn Festival concert on 9 April as a benefit concert. Violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter and cellist Kian Soltani will perform, as well as the soloists of the Lucerne Festival Orchestra and the Russian pianist Yulianna Avdeeva.

Following the originally planned programme with works by Schumann and Mendelssohn, Mutter, Soltani and Avdeeva will perform Dmitri Shostakovich’s Piano Trio No. 2 in E minor: a piece that laments the death of a close friend and mourns the victims of the Second World War.

’Music is a universal language that can be understood anywhere and conveys the basic humanitarian principles. We hope that peace can be restored in the conflict areas and would like to express our sincere gratitude for any form of support for our ICRC and the entire Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.’ said Jürg Kesselring, ICRC assembly member.

The programme will also include a string celebration of Mendelssohn’s Octet, including violinists Raphael Christ, Korbinian Altenberger, Francesco Senese and Irina Simon-Renes, violists Wolfram Christ and Tanja Christ, cellists Soltani and Thomas Ruge, plus double bassist Rick Stotijn.

The proceeds from ticket sales for the benefit concert will go to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement for the support of those suffering in Ukraine and refugees in neighbouring countries. All artists are waiving their fees for this event, and the KKL Luzern is waiving the hall rental fee for the concert. Concertgoers are also asked to make a donation here. 

The concert will be held at 7.30pm on Saturday 9 April . Tickets can be obtained from the Lucerne Festival website.