The magical power of Ernen

György Sebők once said that Ernen was ‘one of the few remaining places in the world where the landscape and way of life help people to hear better, feel more and understand art more deeply’. He therefore saw the picturesque mountain village as an ideal location for his summer masterclasses. Ernen promotes concentration and inner serenity, while at the same time encouraging people to reflect on their own possibilities and limitations, he said. Decades later, little has changed: In September 2024, Laurentiu Stoian, violinist with Trio Basilea, put it this way: "From the first day I'm in Ernen, I play 10 times better."

In dialogue with chamber music groups that recently have performed in the Musikdorf, it became clear how valuable it is for ensembles to have time and space to work together. This gave rise to the project "Ensemble in Residence". The groups are invited to spend two weeks in Ernen, to use the ideal rehearsal rooms in the Musikdorf and to concentrate fully on their further development. As a thank you, they will give a concert for the Musikdorf and its audience. In addition to the Trio Basilea, the Trio Zarathoustra and the Moser String Quartet are Ensembles in Residence 2025.

For several years now, a "composer in residence" has been given the opportunity to work in Ernen for three months with a commission for a new work. In autumn 2025, the Swiss-French composer Claire-Mélanie Sinnhuber will be staying in the Musikdorf. But she is not the only one to benefit: During her stay, music students from the University of Music Sion and Valais pianist Vivien Heinzmann will be able to rehearse her music with the composer. This will result in a additional concert weekend in October 2025 with two concerts.

Extra Concerts

26 April 2025, 5 pm
Chamber Concert with the Trio Zarathoustra – part of the project "Ensemble in Residence"

21 June 2025, 5 pm
Piano Recital with Dasol Kim – on the occasion of the General Assembly of the Musikdorf Ernen Society

22 June 2025, 2 pm
Chamber Concert with the Trio Basilea – part of the project "Ensemble in Residence"

18 October 2025, 8pm
Chamber Concert with Students of the Sion University of Music – part of the project "Composer in Residence 2025/26"

19 October 2025, 11am
Piano Recital with Vivien Heinzmann – part of the project "Composer in Residence 2025/26"

Written in December 2024, by Jonathan Inniger