Janine Jansen

July 18, 2021 — VERBIER (Switzerland) — The Verbier Festival launched on Friday with two
inspirational performances by the Verbier Festival Chamber Orchestra, conductor Valery
Gergiev, and guest soloists Denis Matsuev and Timur Martynov. The Festival charges ahead
with a revised programme for its remaining two weeks, having announced that the Verbier
Festival Orchestra musicians would no longer perform at the Festival this year. Jonathan Fourel
will replace Maria João Pires in the chamber music concert with Augustin Dumay, as Pires can
no longer appear due to personal reasons. Further amendments to the Verbier Festival
Orchestra programme will be announced early next week.

Programme Changes
Tuesday, July 20 | Salle des Combins | 19:00
OPERA GALA / BAYANKINA / ÁLVAREZ / MAESTRI
Puccini’s La fanciulla del West is replaced by an evening of opera arias with Maria Bayankina,
Marcelo Álvarez, Ambrogio Maestri and pianist James Baillieu at Salle des Combins. The new
concert start-time is 7 pm.

Wednesday, July 21 | Salle des Combins | 18:00
VERBIER FESTIVAL CHAMBER ORCHESTRA / PAPPANO / JANSEN
Szymanowski’s Concerto for violin is replaced by Bruch’s first violin concerto due to orchestra
size restrictions.

Wednesday, July 21 | Église de Verbier | 20:00
AUGUSTIN DUMAY / JONATHAN FOUREL
Maria João Pires can no longer appear at the Festival for personal reasons. Jonathan Fourel,
recent winner of Brussel’s Queen Elisabeth Competition steps in for Ms Pires for this recital
with violinist Augustin Dumay. The concert start-time remains 8 pm. Beethoven’s G major
sonata is replaced by Brahms’s third violin sonata.

Programme Cancellations
Friday, July 23 | Église de Verbier
JEAN-EFFLAM BAVOUZET
This recital is cancelled. Jean-Efflam Bavouzet will still lead Verbier Festival Academy piano
masterclasses from July 24 to 27.

This 28th edition of the Verbier Festival is made possible with the support of many
philanthropic, corporate and public funders, notably Madame Aline Foriel-Destezet, The
Friends of the Verbier Festival, the Festival’s major donors, including its Chairman’s Circle, the
Commune de Val de Bagnes, Loterie Romande, Canton du Valais, and its loyal Principal
Sponsors, Bank Julius Baer and Neva Foundation.