Switzerland’s Verbier Festival, an internationally renowned classical music event, will leave its Alpine birthplace for the first time to travel to Shenzhen in Guangdong province next year.
The Shenzhen Municipal Culture, Media, Tourism and Sports Bureau, the Longgang district government, Shenzhen Concert Hall, the Verbier Festival, and Wu Promotion jointly announced this development last week.
The festival, which will run from Jan 30 to Feb 8, will present 25 concerts and a series of activities over the 10 days, anchored by some of classical music’s most revered names — including Martha Argerich, Joshua Bell, Mischa Maisky, Janine Jansen, and Mikhail Pletnev, among others. The Verbier Festival Chamber Orchestra will perform six concerts under longtime music director Gábor Takács-Nagy.
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In keeping with its mission to nurture young musicians, the festival will also host masterclasses, salons, and community workshops, inviting emerging talent from across Asia to learn directly from the maestros.
The announcement came at a time of symbolic significance, as this year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Switzerland. The festival’s launch is expected to boost cultural exchanges and deepen mutual understanding between the two countries.
Martin Engstroem, the festival’s founder and co-chief executive, said China has long been an important part of its story; generations of young Chinese artists have passed through Verbier and are now part of the global music scene. “It’s time we met them where they are.”
“Verbier has always been more than a concert series — it’s a community built on shared passion, where knowledge is passed between generations and lifelong friendships are formed,” Engstroem added.
“The Verbier Festival’s commitment to ‘artistic education and global influence’ aligns closely with Shenzhen’s vision of being a ‘pioneer in technology and a new engine for cultural development’,” Ding Zhongyuan, deputy director of Shenzhen Municipal Culture, Media, Tourism and Sports Bureau, said.
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Portions of the 2026 festival will be held at the Longgang International Arts Center, scheduled to open at the end of 2025, as well as at the Shenzhen Concert Hall, one of the city’s flagship performance spaces.
“Shenzhen has been at the forefront of market reforms, technological innovation, and global manufacturing. This festival’s landing proves it a leader in the cultural arena as well,” Wu Jiatong, founder and chairman of Wu Promotion, one of the co-organizers of the festival, said.
Chen Yang contributed to this story.
Contact the writer at sally@chinadailyhk.com
