The Orchestre de la Suisse Romande with Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla

Grand natural soundscapes with star conductor Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla

The Orchestre de la Suisse Romande brings shimmering impressionistic colours and virtuoso brilliance to KKL Luzern. Following Frank Martin’s Les Quatre Éléments and Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 2, the programme features two landmark works of French Impressionism: Claude Debussy’s La Mer and Maurice Ravel’s Daphnis et Chloé.

The international reputation of the Geneva-based orchestra was established by its founder Ernest Ansermet through his pioneering interpretations of the French repertoire. Today, a partnership unites the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande and the Luzerner Sinfonieorchester, combining artistic excellence with strong regional roots. In this context, Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla conducts the orchestra at KKL Luzern.

Born in Lithuania, Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla attracted international attention in 2016 when she was appointed Music Director of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, a position she later stepped down from in order to balance her artistic commitments with family life. In Lucerne, she turns to works inspired by the natural world.

Frank Martin’s Les Quatre Éléments, composed in 1963 for Ernest Ansermet’s 80th birthday, draws on Nordic landscapes to create musical portraits of earth, water, air and fire. In Chopin’s Piano Concerto in F minor, pianist Georgijs Osokins unfolds dazzling virtuosity and lyrical expression, while the folkloric rhythms of the finale retain a connection to the rural culture of Poland.

The nature-inspired soundscapes of Debussy’s La Mer and Ravel’s Daphnis et Chloé ultimately evolve from delicate, atmospheric beginnings into sweeping sonic landscapes of storms and dance.