Intrigue at the Lucerne Festival and the economic elite in the middle of it

At no other event in Switzerland, so many powerful people gather, such as at the Lucerne Festival. A Federal councillor or the Federal Council opened in each of the major classical music event, the economic and political elite is present in the magnificent hall of the KKL.

Also in the professional world, the Festival enjoys the highest acclaim. Artistic Director, Michael Haefliger has succeeded in the last twenty years, to establish the Lucerne Festival in the international Top League, on the same level, such as the Salzburg festival.

Who in Switzerland, most of the ones visited not only the Festival, but also committed to it. The member list of the Board of Trustees, the Supervisory Board, it reads like the Who's Who of the Swiss economy: Rolf Dörig, Christoph Franz, Walter B. kielholz, Isabelle Welton, Urs Rohner, Klaus Schwab, and many more.

There is a barrage of negative messages

In may of this year, shared the success-drenched Festival of a sudden with that the two adjoining festivals – that of Easter, and the focus on the Piano after thirty or twenty years out. The message triggered in the classical music scene in amazement. The Festival is so bad that it has to give up the tradition-rich events?

a Few weeks later, the next was followed by a negative message. Haefliger is said to have bullied a senior employee. And a few days ago, the Festival informed that Hubert Achermann, member of the Board of UBS Switzerland, occurs after many years as President of the Board of Trustees back. Rapidly transpired that the finish is done quite voluntarily. The "Switzerland at the weekend," wrote of a "power struggle", even a "coup".

A success story pushes the limits

What is going on in Luzern? In order to understand the operations, back is worth a look. In 1999, the concert violinist, Michael Haefliger took over the management of the tradition-rich festival that were under the name "International music festival" known. The same time as Lucerne, the KKL, a concert hall, which was alone due to the architecture of an international sensation.

Haefliger knew how to take advantage of the good conditions. In 2003, the big Coup succeeded. He was the conductor of genius, Claudio Abbado free Hand to an orchestra with a bunch of top musicians put together. The Lucerne Festival Orchestra was born. The classical music world celebrated it as a Sensation. In Parallel, Haefliger founded the French composer Pierre Boulez, a Festival Academy for young musicians. The large master Abbado and Boulez, carrying the name of the Lucerne Festival in the world. Wherever they went, they cared for enthusiasm.

Hubert Achermann steps down as President of the Board of Trustees. Photo: Keystone

in order Haefliger, the Lucerne Festival as a global brand, much as Art Basel has managed to position. The Director had it apart especially on the Asian market. In the far East, the orchestra toured often, in Shanghai, the Festival installed in a residence.

Under Haefliger, the Budget increased from 14 to 24 million francs, with the Festival funded to 95 per cent of yourself. Only 5 percent of the revenue comes from subsidies – a unique value for a cultural event of this kind.

The artistic Director, Michael Haefliger reads like a success story, were it not for his plans for an Opera house in Lucerne, the Modulable Salle. Despite the years of preparation, the course is not guaranteed 120 million Swiss francs from a patron of the arts and a complex judicial proceedings in the Bahamas, the ambitious project came to be.

In recent years the problems accumulated, also, behind-the-Scenes. The Festival in 2017, ended with a bigger loss. In order to secure the future of the event, had to be traded. A measure was the deletion of the two minor festivals. Here is also the origin of the conflict between the Haefliger and the deposed Board of Trustees President Hubert Achermann is located. This had been established, the change in Strategy, despite the concerns of the Director by.

The shambles is

Achermann was in the past years, not only the President of the Foundation, Lucerne Festival, but also the Fundraising organization "Foundation of friends of the Lucerne Festival is". That is, he sat on the money faucet. One side says, he exploited this Position to put pressure on Haefliger exercise. The other side denies this.

Shortly before the Start of this year's festival, the situation is worsening. Haefliger is said to have demanded the removal of Achermanns. Since then, the two went out as far as possible out of the way. Now, half a year later, has won the Director the power struggle.

winner of the power struggle: artistic Director Michael Haefliger. Photo: Keystone

Between the fronts Dominik Deuber, Managing Director of the Lucerne Festival Academy came. He had started as an Intern at the Festival, Haefliger promoted him until he was finally a whole unit. The Director accused him now behind his back is a common thing with Hubert Achermann made. Deuber feels bullied. The matter became public, the shambles is thus. The two parties see only in front of court again.

In the classical world, nobody questions the enormous merits of Michael Haefligers for the Lucerne Festival. Often is but to hear the Director had to miss the time for the departure. After twenty years it was high time for a fresh start.

a larger image damage, would be a strong Board of Trustees. The many economy sizes could now prove that you do not have to sit only for the networks in the body.

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Created: 08.12.2019, 00:10 PM