The fourth season of the Concerts of the Servites will kick off on June 6, 2026, in Mendrisio with an event dedicated to great music for solo violin. The program will be inaugurated by violinist Ilya Gringolts, considered among the most authoritative interpreters of the contemporary international scene.
The performance is scheduled for 20.30pm in the Church of St. John and will offer a musical itinerary that crosses the German Baroque repertoire, placing the works of Johann Sebastian Bach and Johann Georg Pisendel at the centre.
The review, conceived and produced by the Department of Culture, Events and Sport of the Mendrisio, confirms the flat rate of CHF 30 for 2026, a choice that aims to keep the city's cultural offerings accessible to a broad and transversal audience. The initiative can count on the support of the Raiffeisen Bank Mendrisio and Muggio Valley and on the media partnership with RSI.
A program dedicated to the baroque violin
The opening concert will be built around some of the most significant pieces of the eighteenth-century violin repertoire. The program includes: Sonata in G minor BWV 1001 , Partita in D minor BWV 1004 by Johann Sebastian Bach, next to the Sonata in A minor by Johann Georg Pisendel, a German violinist and composer, contemporary of Bach and a leading figure of the Dresden School.
The juxtaposition of Bach and Pisendel will highlight different stylistic and interpretative approaches of the Baroque period, while at the same time enhancing the soloistic dimension of the instrument.
An interpreter between virtuosity and philological research
Born in St. Petersburg, Ilya Gringolts He established himself on the international scene at a very young age. After studying at the Juilliard School in New York with Itzhak Perlman, in 1998 he won the Paganini Prize, starting a career that led him to collaborate with some of the world's leading orchestras.
Over the years, he has worked with ensembles such as the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, the NHK Symphony Orchestra, the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. Recent engagements include collaborations with the Bayerische Rundfunk Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, and the Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich.
The 2025/26 season also sees him perform with the Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg, WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin and the Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra.
In addition to his solo work, Gringolts frequently conducts violin ensembles, including Camerata Bern and Ensemble Resonanz. His repertoire ranges from baroque to contemporary music, with a particular focus on historically informed performance practice and the use of period instruments in composers such as Leclair, Locatelli, Paganini, and Mendelssohn.
An internationally awarded discography
The Russian violinist also boasts a rich recording production, published by labels such as Deutsche Grammophon, BIS and Hyperion. Among the most famous recordings are the 24 Capricci Paganini and the complete works for violin by Stravinsky, a recording that received the Diapason d'Or award. Several of his publications have also been awarded by the specialized magazine Gramophone.
First violinist of the Gringolts Quartet, the artist is a regular guest at major concert halls and international festivals, from Salzburg to Lucerne, including the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam and the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg. He currently teaches at the Zurich University of the Arts and plays a 1718 Stradivarius violin.
Tickets and reservations
Limited seating: advance reservations are recommended.
Tickets can be purchased online via the platform prenota.mendrisio.ch or by contacting the Mendrisio Art Museum at +41 58 688 33 50 or by email at museo@mendrisio.ch.
