PROGRAMM 2026
LIVING LEGEND
FALL WEEKEND 2026
SCALE OF BACH
Friday 16 October 2026
Open Doors 19.15 | Concert 20.00
Swiss Diamond Boutique Hotel La Romantica
Via Cantonale 1, 6815 Melide, Switzerland
Artists
Fabiola Tedesco - Violin
An evening dedicated to Bach: the greatest music ever written, unfolding one voice at a time. It begins with a single violin and grows, two musicians, three, four, until Bach's solo world has become full chamber music. The finale is a jazz medley of his most famous works, drawing the whole evening together. Welcome drink before the concert with a view of Lake Lugano. After the concert, a toast with the musicians at the Velvet Bar.
Programme
Johann Sebastian Bach
I. — Partita No. 2 in D minor, BWV 1004, violin solo
II. — Inventions, BWV 772–786, arranged for two violins
III. — Goldberg Variations, BWV 988 (arr. Dmitry Sitkovetsky),
for trio: violin, viola, cello
IV. — The Art of Fugue, BWV 1080 — Contrapunctus I–IV,
string quartet
V. — Bach's Lunch (arr. Danny Seidenberg),
string quartet — a jazz medley
DIALOGUE ROYALE
Sunday 18 October 2026
Open Doors 18.15 | Concert 19.00
Swiss Diamond Boutique Hotel La Romantica
Via Cantonale 1, 6815 Melide, Switzerland
Artists
Fabiola Tedesco - Violin
A special evening with music filled with quintets for two cellos. The music starts with Glazunov's Quintet first movement, opening with warmth and generosity, spirited music that dances and moves between lyrical beauty and quiet inner reflection. Then Schubert's legendary Quintet in C major, a work of profound human depth, intimate and searching, with moments where time stops that seem to contain everything worth saying. The whole ensemble speaks together in genuine dialogue, with answers, reactions, the music alive and moving.
Welcome drink on Lake Lugano before the concert. After, a toast with the musicians at the Velvet Bar.
Programme
Alexander Glazunov (1865–1936)
String Quintet in A major, op. 39
two violins · viola · two cellos
Franz Schubert (1797–1828)
String Quintet in C major, D 956
two violins · viola · two cellos
SUMMER WEEKEND 2026
Two unforgettable evenings.
Thank you to everyone who made it possible.
The Swan in Song
Step into a world where nature inspires music and the swan takes flight through the voices of master composers.
Begin the evening with a complimentary welcome drink, served in a setting bathed in the glow of the sunset. Then be carried from the sweeping romance of Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake to the rich textures of his string sextet Souvenir de Florence. Delight in the intimate lyricism of Casals’ The Song of the Birds, the exotic colors of Villa-Lobos’ Song of the Black Swan, Sibelius’ reflective Swan Hymn, and Saint-Saëns’ serene Le Cygne.
Each work reveals a unique facet of grace and beauty, in harmony with the elegance of the venue and its surrounding landscape. Conclude the evening with a private opportunity to meet the musicians, enjoy conversation, and savor a final toast.
Programme
P. I. Tchaikovsky — Swan Lake, Pas de Deux, Black Swan
P. I. Tchaikovsky— Swan LakePas de Deux · White Swan
P. Casals — El Cant dels Ocells · The Song of the Birds
H. Villa-Lobos — The Song of the Black Swan
C. Saint-Saëns — The Swan from The Carnival of the Animals
The Beatles — Blackbird
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky — Souvenir de Florence, Op. 70 in D minor
All arrangements for string sextet by Johann Sebastian Paetsch.
SWANLAKE & SUNSET
Friday 7 August 2026
Open Doors 19.15 | 20.00 Concert
Swiss Diamond Boutique Hotel La Romantica
Via Cantonale 1, 6815 Melide, Switzerland
Performed without intermission
Artists
Giulia Wechsler - Viola
Martin Moriarty - Viola
THE CELLO GALA
Sunday 9 August 2026
Open Doors 18.15 | Concert 19.00
Swiss Diamond Boutique Hotel La Romantica
Via Cantonale 1, 6815 Melide, Switzerland
Performed without intermission
Artists
What makes music a “Living Legend”
Here's the full version with that opening:
An evening where top cellists come together for a legendary program: Johann Sebastian, Solo Cellist of the Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana, Moritz Huemer, cellist of the Berliner Philharmoniker, Sandro Meszaros of the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, Raphaela Paetsch of the Stuttgarter Philharmoniker; and versatile French cellist Joachim Birman.
It begins with a complimentary welcome drink and aperitivo in refined surroundings, taking in the resort's extraordinary view, setting the tone for what's to come. The program blends masterworks, Bach's Chaconne, Mozart's Magic Flute, Tchaikovsky's Andante Cantabile, Kol Nidrei, and Piazzolla's Libertango, arranged for cello quintet, with a spirited medley from the best James Bond movies and Giovanni Sollima's Flagellazione, before culminating in a world premiere by next-generation composer Cyprien Lengagne: Fighting Windmills for cello quintet, inspired by the story of Don Quixote.
It all comes together for a legendary night with top artists. The evening closes with something rare: the chance to meet the cellists, talk about the music, and raise a final toast.
Programme
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart — Overture, The Magic Flute arr. for cello quintet
Johann Sebastian Bach — Chaconne arr. for Cello quintet
Giovanni Sollima — Flagellazione for Cello quintet
Cyprien Lengagne — Fighting Windmills, For Five Cellos (world premiere)
Max Bruch — Kol Nidrei arr. for cello quintet
Astor Piazzolla — Libertango arr. for cello quintet
James Bond Medley — 007, From Russia with Love, Thunderbolt
arr. for cello quintet
Thomas Demenga — New York Honk for cello quintet
All arrangements for cello quintet by Johann Sebastian Paetsch, with the exception of New York Honk, arranged by the composer Thomas Demenga.