Explore the 2026 Programme

Prix Yves Paternot Laureate (2018), Timothy Chooi returns to Verbier after a remarkable rise on the international stage. His masterclasses open the Academy’s violin sessions in a spirit of generosity and exchange, offering young artists an inspiring example of a career that began here.

At just 20 years old, Amira Abouzahra, a student of our Academy with Hungarian and Egyptian roots, captivates with her rare intensity and already commanding presence. Trained in Vienna within a family of musicians, she makes her Verbier debut this summer alongside Julien Quentin, in a spirited and contrasting program featuring, among others, the brilliant Violin Sonata by Richard Strauss.

Marc Bouchkov is a regular guest of the Verbier Festival and Professor at the Conservatoire Royal de Liège and the Folkwang University of the Arts. His masterclasses draw on a rich international performing career as both a soloist and chamber musician, offering young violinists a broad musical perspective.

Kirill Gerstein brings clarity and curiosity to his chamber music work. A former student of Solomon Mikowsky, Dmitri Bashkirov, and Ferenc Rados, he challenges musicians to think before they play — to balance structure with spontaneity and to approach interpretation as shared exploration.

Marc Bouchkov is a regular guest of the Verbier Festival and Professor at the Conservatoire Royal de Liège and the Folkwang University of the Arts. His masterclasses draw on a rich international performing career as both a soloist and chamber musician, offering young violinists a broad musical perspective.

Kirill Gerstein brings clarity and curiosity to his chamber music work. A former student of Solomon Mikowsky, Dmitri Bashkirov, and Ferenc Rados, he challenges musicians to think before they play — to balance structure with spontaneity and to approach interpretation as shared exploration.

Augustin Dumay inspires young violinists to seek fullness of sound and strength of musical line. His masterclasses, at once intense and generous, reflect a vision of violin playing where technique serves phrasing, breath, and emotion.

A legendary figure of the Festival and founder of the Takács Quartet, Gábor Takács-Nagy encourages young musicians to move beyond technical perfection and embrace freedom and emotional truth. His classes, full of energy and humanity, remind us that music begins where the fear of making mistakes ends.

Augustin Dumay inspires young violinists to seek fullness of sound and strength of musical line. His masterclasses, at once intense and generous, reflect a vision of violin playing where technique serves phrasing, breath, and emotion.

An original programme paying tribute to the two masters of Leipzig, Bach and Mendelssohn, brought to life by the immense baritone Peter Mattei and a top-tier chamber ensemble for Mendelssohn’s Piano and Strings Sextet.

A legendary figure of the Festival and founder of the Takács Quartet, Gábor Takács-Nagy encourages young musicians to move beyond technical perfection and embrace freedom and emotional truth. His classes, full of energy and humanity, remind us that music begins where the fear of making mistakes ends.

Former concertmaster of the Berlin Philharmonic, Kolja Blacher brings a vision of playing that is clear, free, and deeply engaged. His masterclasses reveal how instrumental command can become musical thinking, serving a performance that feels alive and genuine.

From the famous Funeral March of Schumann’s Quintet to the timeless tune of Schubert’s Trout, the finest soloists become chamber musicians to help us rediscover the popular heritage of Romantic music, with unmatched charm and inventiveness.

Amira Abouzahra, violinist and violist, joins forces with her sister Mariam Abouzahra on violin for a programme centred on the dialogue between string instruments. Accompanied by pianist Julien Quentin, they explore a repertoire rich in contrasts, from the dazzling virtuosity of Eugène Ysaÿe to the expressive depth of Zoltán Kodály, through the great Romantic tradition of Richard Strauss. The concert concludes with Leó Weiner’s Divertimento, a work infused with Hungarian colours, where the two violins and piano engage in a lively and spirited musical exchange.

Former concertmaster of the Berlin Philharmonic, Kolja Blacher brings a vision of playing that is clear, free, and deeply engaged. His masterclasses reveal how instrumental command can become musical thinking, serving a performance that feels alive and genuine.

An heir to the great German piano tradition, Klaus Hellwig brings to his teaching a rare clarity of thought and sound. His masterclasses, rooted in precision and depth of understanding, offer young musicians a lesson in balance, discipline, and the shared artistry that defines chamber music.

An heir to the great German piano tradition, Klaus Hellwig brings to his teaching a rare clarity of thought and sound. His masterclasses, rooted in precision and depth of understanding, offer young musicians a lesson in balance, discipline, and the shared artistry that defines chamber music.

The final chamber music recital of the Verbier Festival Academy’s Soloists & Ensembles programme brings together musicians of the Soloists programme and the inn.wien ensemble, one of the Academy’s 2026 ensembles in residence, in works by Bartók, Schumann and Dohnányi. The concert is followed by the Academy Awards ceremony.