4th International Alberto Lysy Violin Competition - 1st round

20 young violinists from around the world compete in 3 rounds before a 5-member jury. The winner receives concert appearances, including at the Menuhin Festival, a master violin by Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume on loan for 4 years, as well as a monetary prize. The final round takes place in the church of Saanen, where the candidates are accompanied by the St. Gallen Symphony Orchestra. The first two rounds are conducted in the large hall of the Gstaad parish center, where the candidates are accompanied by pianists. 

The competition is publicly accessible — admission is free.

1st Round: Thursday, October 8
Schedule: 9:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m., 1:30 p.m.–4:00 p.m., 4:30 p.m.–7:00 p.m.

Semi-Final: Friday, October 9
Schedule: 2:00 p.m.–4:30 p.m., 5:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m.

Venue
Parish Center
Untergstaadstrasse 8
3780 Gstaad
Switzerland

Final: Saturday, October 10
With the St. Gallen Symphony Orchestra and its new conductor Pietro Rizzo
Schedule: 3:00 p.m.–7:00 p.m.

Venue
Church of Saanen
Chilchgasse 5
3792 Saanen
Switzerland

On the final day, a audience prize will also be awarded. The audience is invited to vote for their favorite. The winner will be presented by the Gstaad Menuhin Festival in the summer of 2027 in the series "Jeunes Étoiles".

The Alberto Lysy International Violin Competition was established with the aim of promoting young violinists from around the world and honoring the memory of the great violinist Alberto Lysy. The event is organized in collaboration with the Menuhin Center Saanen.

An internationally renowned jury awards the winner a high-quality violin by Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume as a loan for four years.

The Jury

• Adelina Oprean — Violin professor at the Music Academy of Basel
• Philippe Graffin — Concert violinist, professor at the Conservatoire Supérieur de Paris and at the Koninklijk Conservatorium Brussel
• Raphaël Oleg — Violinist, violist, conductor, and since 1995 professor at the Music Academy of Basel
• Ettore Causa — Concert violist, professor at the Yale School of Music
• Daniel Geiss — Cellist and conductor, coordinator of the Gstaad String Academy 2026 and conductor of the Gstaad Youth Orchestra