StradivariFEST Klangwelle Zürichsee: «Voilà la France» in Küsnacht

Following the opening concert at the Tonhalle Zurich, the second stop of the “Klangwellen” season takes us to Küsnacht! On October 25, 2026, the renowned Stradivari Quartet will perform in the ballroom of the Boutique Hotel Sonne, located directly on Lake Zurich, and will devote the entire program to the heart of French chamber music: the string quartet. The grand finale will be Claude Debussy’s String Quartet in G minor. Before that, the program will feature Darius Milhaud’s lively String Quartet No. 7 in B-flat major and Henri Dutilleux’s “Ainsi la nuit”—a dazzling nocturnal soundscape. In the “Prélude,” cultural journalist Christian Berzins (CH Media) will introduce the audience to the program.

10th Edition of “Klangwelle Zürichsee”

With the 2026/27 season, the StradivariFEST “Klangwelle Zürichsee” celebrates a special anniversary: This marks the 10th edition of a concert season that has delighted audiences with its unique concept of exploring the musical world of a composer—or, in this case, a country—from a wide variety of perspectives over the course of an entire season.

Over the course of an entire season, the audience and the musicians of the Stradivari Quartet immerse themselves in a musical language—this time characterized by French elegance, sophistication, and a rich palette of sounds. Performed in varying chamber music ensembles—ranging from a recital duo to a chamber orchestra—the program features works by Boulanger, Chausson, Debussy, Dutilleux, Farrenc, and others.

Even in this anniversary year, seven concerts featuring seven Préludes and seven Apéros will take place at special venues around Lake Zurich. This preserves the festival’s signature format of intimacy, dialogue, and connection—a hallmark that has defined the festival for many years.

France Theme

The “sound wave” centered on France encompasses not only the concerts but also a composition commission for Laurent Mettraux. In addition, a StradivariREISE to Paris will take place from April 14 to 18, 2027, following in the footsteps of French composers.

“Préludes”—A Special Kind of Concert Introduction

Before the concerts, media professionals will introduce the program in seven “Préludes.” Accompanied by music from the StradivariMusicians, this is an ideal way for audiences of all ages to get in the mood for the concert—a format that has proven very popular with the public. It offers the audience a colorful array of impressions of the composers.

Note: This text was translated by machine translation software and not by a human translator. It may contain translation errors.