Lucerne Festival Orchestra © Priska Ketterer/Lucerne Festival
Lucerne Festival Orchestra © Priska Ketterer/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

    Gregoy Ahss
    Gregory Ahss Concertmaster | Concertmaster Camerata Salzburg, Concertmaster Lucerne Symphony Orchestra support
    Raphael Christ
    Raphael Christ Concertmaster | First Concertmaster Bochum Symphony Orchestra, Concertmaster Cologne Chamber Orchestra, Orchestra Mozart support
    Cindy Albrecht
    Cindy Albracht Mahler Chamber Orchestra support
    Evelina Antcheva Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg
    Stefan Arzberger
    Stefan Arzberger Leipzig String Quartet support
    Julia Becker
    Julia Becker Concertmaster Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich support
    Isabelle Briner
    Isabelle Briner Swiss Orchestra, formerly Mahler Chamber Orchestra support
    Alejandro Carreno
    Alejandro Carreño First Concertmaster Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra, first violin Simón Bolívar String Quartet, guest Berlin Philharmonic support
    Yun-Jin Cho
    Yun-Jin Cho assistant concertmaster Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra support
    Manuel Kastl
    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
    Hildegard Niebuhr-Candan Mahler Chamber Orchestra support
    Daniel Röhn
    Daniel Röhn support
    Francesco Senese
    Francesco Senese Orchestra Mozart support
    Sayaka Takeuchi
    Sayaka Takeuchi Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich support
    Yunna Weber
    Yunna Weber Staatskapelle Berlin support
    Annette zu Castell
    Annette zu Castell Mahler Chamber Orchestra support
  • Second Violins

    Korbinian Altenberger
    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
    Michiel Commandeur Mahler Chamber Orchestra support
    Clément Courtin Munich Philharmonic
    Michael Friedrich Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra
    Semion Gavrikov
    Semion Gavrikov Luxembourg Philharmonic support
    Christian Heubes
    Christian Heubes Mahler Chamber Orchestra support
    Iason Keramidis
    Iason Keramidis Assistant Concertmaster Munich Philharmonic support
    Pawel Kisza
    Pawel Kisza Principal Second Violin Hamburg Symphony Orchestra support
    May Kunstovny
    May Kunstovny Mahler Chamber Orchestra support
    Johanna Pichlmair
    Johanna Pichlmair Berlin Philharmonic support
    Peter Riehm Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra support
    Kio Seiler
    Kio Seiler Zurich Chamber Orchestra support
    Irina Simon Renes
    Irina Simon-Renes Principal Second Violin Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra support
    Giacomo Tesini
    Giacomo Tesini Professor Conservatorio di Trento, Orchestra Mozart support
    Katatzyna Wozniakowska
    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 Candamio
    Maite Abasolo Euskadiko Orkestra support
    Justin Caulley Mahler Chamber Orchestra
    Tanja Christ formerly Berliner Philharmoniker support
    Veronika Hagen
    Veronika Hagen Hagen Quartet support
    Julio Lopez
    Julio López Munich Philharmonic support
    Beatrice Muthelet
    Béatrice Muthelet Mahler Chamber Orchestra support
    Julia Neher Principal Viola Trondheim Symfoniorkester support
    Dirk Niewöhner principal viola Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra
    Raphael Sachs
    Raphael Sachs Assistant Principal Viola SWR Symphonieorchester (Southwest German Radio Symphony Orchestra) support
    Chaim Steller
    Chaim Steller Principal Viola Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra support
    Pierre Tourville
    Pierre Tourville Assistant Principal Viola Orchestre Métropolitain support
    Jörg Winkler
    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
    Iseut Chuat Soloist support
    Stefan Faludi Mahler Chamber Orchestra support
    Benoit Grenet
    Benoît Grenet Principal Cello Orchestre de Chambre de Paris support
    Claire Sojung Henkel Principal Viola Staatskapelle Berlin
    Sandro Laffranchini
    Sandro Laffranchini Principal Cello Teatro alla Scala support
    Konstantin Pfiz Soloist, Clemente Trio
    Thomas Ruge
    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
    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
    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
    Maurizio Simeoli Conservatorio di Rovigo, formerly Piccolo Teatro alla Scala support
    Chiara Tonelli
    Chiara Tonelli Mahler Chamber Orchestra support
  • Oboes

    Lucas Macias Navarro
    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
    Diana Heidinger
    Dina Heidinger-Curfs Principal Oboe Deutsche Oper Berlin support
    Martin Frutiger Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich
    Miriam Pastor
    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
    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
    Jessica Bessac Orchestre National de France support
    Jaan Bossier
    Jaan Bossier Mahler Chamber Orchestra support
    Lorenzo Iosco Principal Bass Clarinet Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra
    Raphael Schenkel
    Raphaël Schenkel Bass Clarinet Bremer Philharmoniker, Codarts Rotterdam, Artistic Director Klang-Labor Hechingen support
  • Saxophone

    Femke Ijlstra
    Femke Ijlstra Professor Codarts Rotterdam, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra support
  • Bassoons

    Matthias Racz
    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
    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
    Ivo Gass Principal Horn | Principal Horn Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich support
    Florian Abächerli
    Florian Abächerli Principal Horn Lucerne Symphony Orchestra support
    Jose Asensi Marti
    José Miguel Asensi Martí Orquesta Sinfónica de Castilla y León support
    Clément Charpentier-Leroy Orchestre de la Suisse Romande
    Tobias Huber
    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
    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
    Jörgen van Rijen Principal Trombone | Principal Trombone Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra support
    Daniele Morandini
    Daniele Morandini Principal Trombone Teatro alla Scala support
    Alexander Verbeek
    Alexander Verbeek Principal Trombone | Principal Trombone Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra support
    Mark Hampson
    Mark Hampson Mahler Chamber Orchestra support
  • Tuba

    Thomas Keller Staatskapelle Berlin support
  • Timpani

    Raymond Curfs
    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
    Dirk Wucherpfennig Konzerthausorchester Berlin support
    Hans Zonderop
    Hans Zonderop Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra support
  • Harps

    Sarah Christ formerly Vienna Staatsoper, Chamber Musician support
    Sarah Verrue
    Sarah Verrue Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich support
  • Guitar

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

    Sonja Wiedemer
    Sonja Wiedemer Freelance Musician support
  • Piano

    Enrico Cacciari
    Enrico Maria Cacciari Zurich Opera support
    Hendrik Heilmann Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich