Widman becomes artistic director of the Lucerne Festival Academy
Jörg Widmann will take over the post in January 2026 as successor to Wolfgang Rihm, who died in 2024.
Born in 1973 Jörg Widmann has many years of varied experience as a clarinettist, composer and conductor. For the designated Artistic Director of the Lucerne Festival from 2026, Sebastian Nordmann, Jörg Widmann "fits perfectly into the 'Boulez-Rihm' series and will carefully preserve and develop the Academy's legacy."
The Lucerne Festival Academy was founded in 2004 by Pierre Boulez and Michael Haefliger and has since become an important part of the Lucerne Festival and a network of over 1500 musicians with special ties to new music. After Pierre Boulez, Wolfgang Rihm directed the Academy from 2016 until his death. The 2025 edition was still planned by Rihm together with the Academy team. As Lucerne Festival writes, the focus this year is on Pierre Boulez's 100th birthday. "Composer-in-residence is Marco Stroppa, the Composer Seminar is led by Dieter Ammann and Unsuk Chin, the Contemporary Conducting Program by Baldur Brönnimann."
