3 Nov 2026, 19:30, KKL Lucerne

To kick off the concert series at the KKL Luzern, Festival Strings Lucerne present Emanuel Ax, one of the most significant pianists of our time. The multiple Grammy Award winner, who has just been named ‘Artist of the Year’ by Musical America, is making his long-awaited debut with the orchestra and will perform Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 25, K. 503 – a masterpiece of majestic grandeur and festive radiance.

An exciting discovery awaits the audience in the second half of the concert with music by Vincenzo Righini, a contemporary of Mozart and Beethoven who is, sadly, hardly known today, but who, as Prussian court Kapellmeister, was one of the defining musical figures of his era. From here, the journey leads to Beethoven, who wrote piano variations based on a theme by Righini; with his First Symphony, the Festival Strings Lucerne and Daniel Dodds turn their attention to the upcoming Beethoven Year.