Festival Musikdorf Ernen

Surround yourself with superb classical music in an iconic village in the mountains! Classical music fans won't want to miss out on the 50th edition of Festival Musikdorf Ernen ("Ernen Music Village"), in the historic village in Canton Valais in the Swiss Alps.

Outstanding classical music at Festival Musikdorf Ernen

At the award-winning Festival Musikdorf Ernen, classical music enthusiasts are sure to enjoy themselves wholeheartedly thanks to the first-rate musicians playing masterworks by both well-known greats such as Bach, Mozart and Haydn, as well as lesser-known composers. There's also lots of jazz and baroque music, providing an amazingly varied festival programme for the summer!

Festival Musikdorf Ernen is an international music event where eminent players perform alongside emerging young musicians. The festival is celebrated because it attracts legendary figures in the classical music world to its stage, meanwhile fostering talent for the next generation of music professionals.

Talented music students take part in the Festival Musikdorf Ernen masterclasses, where they are tutored by some of the foremost musicians in the world, performing alongside them in the festival orchestra. Festival Musikdorf Ernen concerts take place at various venues, but the two main ones are the Church of St. George and the Tellenhaus - a town hall named after the Swiss national hero Wilhelm Tell.

Five decades of Festival Musikdorf Ernen

In 1974, Hungarian pianist György Sebök founded the chamber music festival, to which he invited some well-known classical musicians of the day to give concerts and masterclasses. At the time it was known as Festival der Zukunft ("Festival of the Future").

The festival has grown since then, and in 2012 it was renamed Festival Musikdorf Ernen. As well as concerts and masterclasses, it now offers biography writing workshops, literature seminars and LGBTQ+ literature book presentations related to music. The festival was awarded the Prix Montagne in 2012, and in 2015 was awarded the Doron Prize.

Getting to the village of Ernen

The Swiss Alpine village of Ernen can be easily reached by public transport from major Swiss cities and airports. If you’re driving, it’s good to know that Ernen is quite close to Geneva and Bern. Before and after certain concerts, there’s a free shuttle bus to take festival attendees to and from the various festival venues in Ernen.

Get tickets to Festival Musikdorf Ernen

Get your tickets on the Festival Musikdorf Ernen website. Tickets vary in price and location and some of them are even free!