| Lucerne Festival

When this orchestra gets together, it is a true musical celebration! Ever since it was founded in the summer of 2003, the Lucerne Festival Orchestra has featured principals including violinist Kolja Blacher; violists Wolfram Christ and Antoine Tamestit; cellists Jens Peter Maintz, Natalia Gutman, and Julian Steckel; flutists Jacques Zoon and Emmanuel Pahud; clarinetists Sabine Meyer and Alessandro Carbonare; oboists Lucas Macías Navarro and Albrecht Mayer; horn players Alessio Allegrini and Ivo Gass; trumpeter Reinhold Friedrich; trombonist Jörgen van Rijen; timpanist Raymond Curfs; and members of the Sabine Meyer Wind Ensemble, the Alban Berg Quartet, the Hagen Quartet, the Leipzig String Quartet, and many more...

Meet the current members of the orchestra (as of Summer 2024) and learn more about opportunities to support your favourite musician.

First Violins

Gregory Ahss Concertmaster | Concertmaster Camerata Salzburg, Concertmaster Lucerne Symphony Orchestra support

Raphael Christ Concertmaster | First Concertmaster Bochum Symphony Orchestra, Concertmaster Cologne Chamber Orchestra, Orchestra Mozart support

Cindy Albracht Mahler Chamber Orchestra support

Evelina Antcheva Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg

Stefan Arzberger Leipzig String Quartet support

Julia Becker Concertmaster Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich support

Isabelle Briner Swiss Orchestra, formerly Mahler Chamber Orchestra support

Alejandro Carreño First Concertmaster Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra, first violin Simón Bolívar String Quartet, guest Berlin Philharmonic support

Yun-Jin Cho assistant concertmaster Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra support

Manuel Kastl First concertmaster Staatsphilharmonie Nürnberg (Staatstheater Nürnberg), Orchestra Mozart support

So-Young Kim Bavarian State Orchestra

Anna Matz Mahler Chamber Orchestra

Meghan Nenniger Bavarian State Orchestra

Hildegard Niebuhr-Candan Mahler Chamber Orchestra support

Daniel Röhn support

Francesco Senese Orchestra Mozart support

Sayaka Takeuchi Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich support

Yunna Weber Staatskapelle Berlin support

Annette zu Castell Mahler Chamber Orchestra support
Second Violins

Korbinian Altenberger Principal Second Violins | Concertmaster Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Professor University for Music Wuerzburg support

Claudia Christ Orchestra Mozart, Badische Staatskapelle Karlsruhe support

Michiel Commandeur Mahler Chamber Orchestra support

Clément Courtin Munich Philharmonic

Michael Friedrich Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra

Semion Gavrikov Luxembourg Philharmonic support

Christian Heubes Mahler Chamber Orchestra support

Iason Keramidis Assistant Concertmaster Munich Philharmonic support

Pawel Kisza Principal Second Violin Hamburg Symphony Orchestra support

May Kunstovny Mahler Chamber Orchestra support

Johanna Pichlmair Berlin Philharmonic support

Peter Riehm Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra support

Kio Seiler Zurich Chamber Orchestra support

Irina Simon-Renes Principal Second Violin Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra support

Giacomo Tesini Professor Conservatorio di Trento, Orchestra Mozart support

Katarzyna Wozniakowska Mahler Chamber Orchestra support

Isabelle Weilbach-Lambelet Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich
Violas

Wolfram Christ Principal Viola | violist, conductor

with the support of: a couple from Lucerne

Maite Abasolo Euskadiko Orkestra support

Justin Caulley Mahler Chamber Orchestra

Tanja Christ formerly Berliner Philharmoniker support

Veronika Hagen Hagen Quartet support

Julio López Munich Philharmonic support

Béatrice Muthelet Mahler Chamber Orchestra support

Julia Neher Principal Viola Trondheim Symfoniorkester support

Dirk Niewöhner principal viola Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra

Raphael Sachs Assistant Principal Viola SWR Symphonieorchester (Southwest German Radio Symphony Orchestra) support

Chaim Steller Principal Viola Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra support

Pierre Tourville Assistant Principal Viola Orchestre Métropolitain support

Jörg Winkler Principal Viola Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, formerly Principal Viola Mahler Chamber Orchestra support
Cellos

Jens Peter Maintz Principal Cello | Professor Berlin University of the Arts

Clemens Hagen Principal Cello | Hagen Quartet

Massimo Polidori Principal Cello | Principal Cello Teatro alla Scala

Paolo Bonomini Principal Cello Camerata Salzburg support

Iseut Chuat Soloist support

Stefan Faludi Mahler Chamber Orchestra support

Benoît Grenet Principal Cello Orchestre de Chambre de Paris support

Claire Sojung Henkel Principal Viola Staatskapelle Berlin

Sandro Laffranchini Principal Cello Teatro alla Scala support

Konstantin Pfiz Soloist, Clemente Trio

Thomas Ruge Principal Cello Munich Philharmonic support

Konstanze von Gutzeit Principal Cello Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra support

Philipp von Steinaecker Mahler Chamber Orchestra support

Moritz Weigert Mahler Chamber Orchestra support
Basses

Rick Stotijn Principal Bass | Mahler Chamber Orchestra support

Paolo Borsarelli Professor Conservatorio Statale di Musica “Giuseppe Verdi” di Torino support

Roberto di Ronza formerly Assistant Principal Bass Munich Symphony Orchestra support

Johane Gonzalez Seijas Mahler Chamber Orchestra support

Stepan Kratochvil Munich Philharmonic support

Burak Marlali Professor Berlin University of the Arts, Principal Bass Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra support

Jon Mikel Martínez Valgañón Frankfurt Opera and Museum Orchestra

Rodrigo Moro Martìn Assistant Principal Bass WDR Symphony Orchestra

Axel Ruge Assistant Principal Bass WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne support
Flutes

Jacques Zoon Principal Flute | Professor Haute école de musique de Genève, formerly Principal Flute Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra of Europe support

Rui Borges Maia Orquestra de Câmara Portuguesa (Lissabon), Plural Ensemble (Madrid)

Júlia Gállego Mahler Chamber Orchestra

Maurizio Simeoli Conservatorio di Rovigo, formerly Piccolo Teatro alla Scala support

Chiara Tonelli Mahler Chamber Orchestra support
Oboes

Lucas Macías Navarro Principal Oboe | Soloist, Professor University of Music Freiburg/Br.

with the support of: a couple from Lucerne

Kai Frömbgen Principal Oboe | Hanover University of Music, Drama and Media

Dina Heidinger-Curfs Principal Oboe Deutsche Oper Berlin support

Martin Frutiger Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich

Miriam Pastor Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra support

José Antonio Masmano Villar Assistant Principal Oboe and Cor Anglais Orquesta Ciudad de Granada, Conservatorio Superior de Música de Aragón

Daniel Rodríguez Agúndez ADDA Simfònica Alicante support
Clarinets

Alessandro Carbonare Principal Clarinet | Principal Clarinet Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia – Roma support

Thomas Holzmann Principal Clarinet | Principal Clarinet Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin support

Jessica Bessac Orchestre National de France support

Jaan Bossier Mahler Chamber Orchestra support

Lorenzo Iosco Principal Bass Clarinet Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra

Raphaël Schenkel Bass Clarinet Bremer Philharmoniker, Codarts Rotterdam, Artistic Director Klang-Labor Hechingen support
Saxophone

Femke Ijlstra Professor Codarts Rotterdam, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra support
Bassoons

Matthias Racz Principal Bassoon | Principal Bassoon Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, Professor Zurich University of the Arts support

Guilhaume Santana Principal Bassoon | Mahler Chamber Orchestra support

Pierre Gomes da Cunha Conservatoire de la Ville de Luxembourg, IESM d’Aix-en Provence, Verbier Festival Chamber Orchestra support

Ulrich Kircheis Bamberg Symphony

Chiara Santi Mahler Chamber Orchestra support
Horns

Ivo Gass Principal Horn | Principal Horn Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich support

Florian Abächerli Principal Horn Lucerne Symphony Orchestra support

José Miguel Asensi Martí Orquesta Sinfónica de Castilla y León support

Clément Charpentier-Leroy Orchestre de la Suisse Romande

Tobias Huber Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich support

Alberto Menéndez Escribano Principal Horn Orquesta Nacional de España

Paulo Muñoz Toledo Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich support

Jonathan Wegloop Mahler Chamber Orchestra support
Trumpets

Reinhold Friedrich Principal Trumpet | Professor Karlsruhe University of Music support

Jeroen Baerwarts Principal Trumpet | Soloist, Professor Hanover University of Music, Drama and Media

Christopher Dicken Mahler Chamber Orchestra

Matthew Sadler Mahler Chamber Orchestra support

Marco Toro Principal Trumpet Teatro alla Scala
Trombones

Jörgen van Rijen Principal Trombone | Principal Trombone Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra support

Daniele Morandini Principal Trombone Teatro alla Scala support

Alexander Verbeek Principal Trombone | Principal Trombone Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra support

Mark Hampson Mahler Chamber Orchestra support
Tuba

Thomas Keller Staatskapelle Berlin support
Timpani

Raymond Curfs Principal Timpani Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra support
Percussion

Mathias Friis-Hansen The Royal Danish Orchestra support

Mark Haeldermans Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra support

Christian Hartmann Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich

Gianluca Saveri Conservatorio di Musica “Francesco Morlacchi” di Perugia

Dirk Wucherpfennig Konzerthausorchester Berlin support

Hans Zonderop Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra support
Harps

Sarah Christ formerly Vienna Staatsoper, Chamber Musician support

Sarah Verrue Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich support
Guitar

Michael Wernicke Freelance Orchestral Musician, Klangforum Heidelberg, ALEPH Guitar Quartet support
Mandolin

Sonja Wiedemer Freelance Musician support
Piano

Enrico Maria Cacciari Zurich Opera support

Hendrik Heilmann Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich