1969
The Czech Philharmonic gives its Festival début.
Walter Schulthess retires as artistic adviser in the Organizing Committee.
1968
President Alois Troller is now assisted by an artistic director (Rudolf Baumgartner) and an administrative director (Othmar Fries).
Frank Martin's Magnificat is premièred by Bernhard Haitink.
The New York Philharmonic gives its Festival début.
A total of 32 events, including 16 symphony concerts.
1967
Klaus Huber's Soliloquia is conducted by Ernest Baur. The Cleveland Orchestra gives its Festival début.
1966
Walter Strebi is named the first honorary president of the Organizing Committee. The Friends of the International Lucerne Festival of Music is founded.
Claudio Abbado and Daniel Barenboim make their first appearances at the Festival.
Wladimir Vogel's oratorio Wagadus Untergang durch die Eitelkeit is performed.
1965
Alois Troller is made chairman of the Organizing Committee (until 1971). György Ligeti's Requiem is performed. The Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra gives its Festival début.
1964
The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra becomes the first major American orchestra to visit the Festival.
1963
The Clara Haskil Piano Competition is held for the first time as part of the Festival, as would happen again in 1965, 1967 and 1969. The jury includes Géza Anda, Arthur Grumiaux, Mieczyslaw Horszowski, Nikita Magaloff, Rafael Kubelik and Igor Markevitch. The winners are Christoph Eschenbach (1965) and Dinorah Varsi (1967); no prize was awarded in the other years.
Ernest Ansermet conducts Arthur Honegger's Jeanne d’Arc au bûcher with the Festival Choir.
The Berliner Philharmonic, conducted by Karajan, gives a legendary performance of Verdi's Requiem.
1962
Rafael Kubelik conducts the première of his Requiem pro memoria uxoris. Herbert von Karajan conducts the Vienna Philharmonic.
1961
World première of Zoltán Kodály's Sinfonie in C, conducted by Ferenc Fricsay. The English Chamber Orchestra gives its Festival début. The Musica Nova concerts become a regular feature of the Festival, with one concert per year.
1960
Walter Strebi founds a patrons' committee. Today it has some 300 members and functions as an additional foundation on the Festival's behalf.
The NHK Symphony Orchestra gives its Festival début.
1958
The Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra makes its début appearance at the Festival (it will appear every year except 1960 and 1984).
Frank Martin's Ouverture en Rondeau is premièred under Ernest Ansermet.
A special annual concert is introduced for the citizens of Lucerne. It is given by the Lucerne Festival Strings or English Chamber Orchestra, and later by the Festival Orchestra.
The Lucerne Festival Strings give the first Musica Nova concert in St. Luke's Church. They will present all the Musica Nova concerts until 1970.
1957
Herbert von Karajan conducts the Festival Orchestra for the first time.
The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra gives its Festival début.