You couldn’t have come up with a better name for Sol “The sun” Gabetta. She’s as radiant whenever she takes the stage, as when you meet her backstage. She’s kind and generous with her time. For nearly two decades Sol Gabetta has been a leading presence at Gstaad, having become something like the festival’s ambassador. Every year we are blessed with her new projects, often in form of world premieres.

The Gabetta family’s bear paws

We all heard about her great career, but little is known about how it started. Once at Saanen Sol Gabetta shared with us the following story: «I was three years old and my brother Andrés was eight. My parents gave both of us a violin. But – of course – Andrés played much better, because he was much older. However, one day I was offered cello lessons.» Thanks to the Suzuki-method Sol made very soon great progress. «I immediately sensed that the cello was right for me. It feels more natural than the violin. I’m small and have huge hands. We all have bear paws in our family. I can’t fathom how Andrés manages with his violin.»

Cappella Gabetta – For the Love of Old Music

So the years passed and the each of the siblings found their own way. «After Andrés got his diploma, he met Christophe Coin (the great cellist who specializes in the so-called period performance. He immersed himself in the Baroque Music. And even though I followed his journey with keen interest, I focused on the grand concert repertoire… up until I discovered the old music myself. That was whilst I was working on the first «Progetto Vivaldi» for Sony.»

Sol’s interpretation of Vivaldi, the so-called «Red Priest», was a huge success, so that Sony immediately wanted her to do another record. And Sol Gabetta realized that this would allow her to collaborate with her brother: Thus, the Cappella Gabetta was born! And from then on, the Cappella Gabetta became a regular at the Gstaad Menuhin Festival.

Who ever doubted that musical interpretations could be spontaneous and unexpected, should come and enjoy a concert of Patricia Kopatchinskaja. The Moldavian violinist is full of vitality - every part of her body from her fingers to her feet (she often performs barefoot!) sparks with energy. Hence, it should not come as a surprise that she entertains a vivid dialogue between the music of the past and the present: She's a favourite of contemporary composers - they couldn't have found a better ambassador for their cause. In the past, we at the Gstaad Menuhin Festival have often been a witness of her new musical adventures: She introduced us (together with her friend and musical ally Sol Gabetta) to new masterpieces by acclaimed contemporary composers such as Jorge Sánchez Chiong, Mark Anthony Turnage, Pēteris Vasks und Francisco Coll.

Corelli in Moldavia

These days virtually every artist has a personal website. Most often however they're full of bland marketing. Patricia Kopatchinskaja's webpage is wonderfully different. Here you can find texts written by the artist herself sharing her thoughts on her work as well as personal ideas on diverse subjects («Why is one a musician?» or «With Terre des Hommes in Moldavia»)   Patricia Kopatchinskaja comes from Moldavia and maintains a strong connection to her homeland. She shows a particular interest in intercultural exchange: «Ever since the Roman Empire Moldavia with its Black Sea coast has had a close relationship to the Mediterranean and its people. You can picture the great Italian Baroque violinists (Corelli, Tartini) having played like the violinists in the Moldavian countryside nowadays: With an exceptional sense for rhythm and harmony. They're very open to new influences, especially from Arabia. » Patricia Kopatchinskaja embodies just that: The entire world in one single violin.