Dear Friends
A very Happy 2025, where music and friendship bring joy to our hearts and where we can celebrate amongst a mix of generations, from 6 to 97 years of age…quite a feat and indeed a family gathering, as we all, relatives and close friends, form this impressive crowd of 300+ on this concert night. Thank you the NextGen, our children, nieces, nephews and friends, a little over half of the assembly of tonight, for who you are and to you, my fellow Younger-Since-Longer for your positive energy!
Our Lauenen Concerts were born on an airplane, between Salzburg and Zurich in the summer of 2002, with the first edition in the winter of 2003, and the voyage of making and sharing « music for music’s joy » with friends is still flying high today. What better joy than Mozart, one of Joji’s favourite composers, to start the evening, and thanks to him and his fellow incredible musicians Christoph Zimper, Nina Hedenreich, Innokenti Grabko and Antonia Straka, we will embark on a most beautiful voyage in his music, with many arrangements by Joji himself !
Joji has invited our magnificent friend and superstar mezzo-soprano Kate Lindsey and world-renowned pianist and award-winning composer Baptiste Trotignon, to sing and play for us tonight and not only in the classical repertoire but also give us a jazzy second half from their album « Thousands of Miles ».
A huge thanks for all of them for their most versatile and magnificent performance of tonight !
As parts of the world goes into the terrible embrace of war, sickness, hunger and fear, we don’t forget the suffering populations; while we are here to rejoice tonight, amongst family and friends in a blissful setting, we all want to foster dialogue, harmony where we can and find solutions rather than be led into hatred, trying to find differences and promote suffering. Music remains a guide for our souls, so let’s pause in this moment of peace and let’s help our fellow humans whenever we can!
We all know that the path to music and fun is supported by much work and attention to detail and I’d like to thank my darling Andrienne, Léopold&Isabel, all the Arenberg cousins, family members and friends who support this evening with their energy, organisational help and good vibes: we need you and we love the common creation that we achieve each year since 2003 !
And now to the music !
Etienne d’Arenberg
For the Lauenen Chamber Concerts Association
