Not just a simple program, but a true cultural architecture. The 2026/27 Music Season in Lugano presents itself as a complex project, built around precise coordinates: continuity and rupture, tradition and redefinition, the connection between languages ​​and disciplines.

Il LAC Lugano Art and Culture It thus consolidates a curatorial approach that aims to transcend the canonical categories of music, transforming the program into a space for comparison between different aesthetics, geographies, and artistic practices.

At its core is a vision that considers music not as an immovable heritage, but as a living substance, capable of transcending eras and contexts. This perspective underpins the work of artistic and general director Andrea Amarante, who imbues the season with a decidedly open approach to risk and experimentation.

Inauguration between training and international vision

The opening, on September 12th, is entrusted to the Gala Concert of the Opera for Peace Academy, an initiative promoted by Opera for Peace – Leading Voices of the World.

On stage nine young singers selected globally, accompanied by the Orchestra of Italian Switzerland Directed by Kamal Khan, the project represents more than just a seasonal debut, but a clear message: attention to the new generations and openness to often marginalized international contexts.

The piano as a narrative axis

Among the common threads of the season is the piano, understood not only as an instrument, but as a cultural symbol.

From Hiromi's stylistic fusion of jazz, rock, and classical music, to her lieder repertoire with Asmik Grigorian and Lukas Geniušas, and recitals by performers such as Evgeny Kissin, Hélène Grimaud, and Yuja Wang, pianism is explored in all its forms.

Alongside the traditional repertoire, there is space for figures such as Fazıl Say and Ólafur Arnalds, who push the language towards hybrid territories between composition, electronics and minimalism.

The symphony between tradition and reinterpretation

The great orchestral repertoire remains central, but is approached with interpretative approaches that redefine its meaning.

The events include the Staatskapelle Dresden conducted by Daniele Gatti, the Freiburger Barockorchester with the Collegium Vocale Gent and Pablo Heras-Casado, and Beethoven's Missa Solemnis conducted by Diego Fasolis.

Alongside these more canonical readings, projects emerge that broaden the boundaries of symphonism, such as Revolt of the Geneva Camerata, which transforms Shostakovich's Symphony No. 5 into a choreographic experience shared between musicians and dancers.

Music and cinema, between imagination and spectacle

The dialogue with other arts is also manifested in the relationship with cinema. After the success of Psycho, the LAC proposes the screening of Blade Runner with a live soundtrack, as well as a project dedicated to Star Wars, where music and scientific dissemination intertwine thanks to the presence of astrophysicist Luca Perri.

Chamber, jazz and new sound geographies

Chamber music develops through collaborations such as the one with Le Dimore del Quartetto, which brings young international ensembles to Lugano on a journey called the “Grand Tour”.

At the same time, jazz and border music further broaden the sonic spectrum: from Dhafer Youssef to Nils Petter Molvær, from Melissa Aldana to Kinan Azmeh, up to projects that integrate electronics, improvisation and non-European traditions.

Experimentation and contemporaneity

One of the season's hallmarks is its focus on contemporary creation. The Early Night Modern and EAR – Electro Acoustic Room series explore the relationship between sound, technology, and artistic research.

In this context it also fits Triton, a cross-media project by the duo Invernomuto, created in collaboration with the MASI Lugano, which translates environmental data into immersive audio and visual experiences.

Immersive experiences and new formats

The redefinition of the concert form also involves unconventional projects.

With Don Li Cosmotonic Experience, music invades the urban space in a six-hour performance, while Maybe a Concert by Raissa Avilés blurs the lines between concert and performance. In both cases, the audience is engaged in unconventional modes of enjoyment, where the time and space of listening are rethought.

Lake en plein air: the season before the season

Before the official opening, LAC en plein air returns, a free summer festival that brings Piazza Luini to life between June and August. It focuses on two themes: jazz and global sounds, and an exploration of Alpine and transalpine folk music, with a focus on contemporary developments in the tradition.

An identity in transformation

The 2026/27 Music Season in Lugano confirms the LAC's role as a cultural platform capable of connecting diverse languages, artists, and audiences.

More than just proposing events, the Ticino cultural center builds a system of relationships, in which music becomes a tool for reflection and discussion. This approach, in a context marked by transformation and discontinuity, aims to redefine the very meaning of the contemporary artistic experience.