Keep in Touch
Contact info
Address
Case postale 1429
1951 Sion
Switzerland
http://www.sion-festival.ch
Info
Tel: +41 27 323 43 30
Fax: +41 27 323 46 62
info@sion-festival.ch
http://www.sion-festival.ch
Case postale 1429
CH-1951 Sion
Administration
Tel: +41 27 323 4317
info@sion-festival.ch
Tickets
Tel: +41 27 323 43 17
Press
Tel: +41 27 323 43 17
patricia@sion-festival.ch
Accountancy
Tel: +41 27 323 4317
Festival International de Musique Sion Valais
The International Music Festival of Sion Valais offers for more than 40 years a prestigious musical season at Sion. Represented by the presence of its Artistic Director, Shlomo Mintz, the 48th edition offers 11 concerts in Valais from August 18 until September 9 (2012), presenting top artists, important vocal qualities in a mixture of diverse works accessible to everyone: symphonic formations, chamber music and chorals will unite a lot of international musicians.
This festival has been an EFA member since 1999.
Festival Programme
Each EFA member manages its own Calendar. In case there is no programme availabable for this year, please visit the festival's own website.
History
Founded in 1963, the Academy of music was created by the internationally acclaimed violinist, Tibor Varga residing in Valais since 1956, to animate the musical life of his adoptive country by organizing master classes during the summer, welcoming musicians from all over the world.
In 1964, the success of this academy brought forth the birth of a festival, at first consisting of some concerts given in the heart of the summer. In 1967, the “Concours International de Violon Tibor Varga” completed this panoply of musical manifestations, which existed for violin art. Sion became then “the capital of the violin”.
In 1997 the International Music Festival of Sion Valais gained “le Prix Sommet 1997”, an important prize attributed by the Society of Swiss Banks to the company which defended the touristic-economical interests in Valais at maximum level. In the same year Mr. Tibor Varga passed the baton on to his son Gilbert, an internationally recognized musical director, who established a new policy by giving each year a “principal guest” the opportunity to present his way of conceiving music (a sort of “carte blanche”): in 1998, Jordi Savall, in 1999, Peter Schreier, in 2000 Heinrich Schiff and in 2001 Christian Zacharias.
The International Music Festival of Sion Valais proposes each year about 20 manifestations (concerts, open-air spectacles, musical meetings, etc.). The Music Academy of Sion receives about 400 to 500 students from over the entire world to follow master classes given by internationally acclaimed teachers; they are equally given the chance to perform some forty “Musical Hours” in the main locations.
The image of the festival evolved from regional to Swiss to international. To maintain the acquired standard and to assure a harmonious development, the festival has to profile itself in a market more and more tense, respecting the principles that brought forth its birth and inspired its development during the 37 years of its activity. To reinforce its actual standard, the festival has to open itself to the world. It has to bring into account, without betraying the basic philosophy (music and nothing but music), the economic impulses of Valais and Switzerland while positioning itself better again in the cultural field.
