Christoph Müller to Become Artistic Director of Klosters Music in 2027

David Whelton is very pleased that Christoph Müller has been appointed as his successor as artistic director of Klosters Music: 'He brings immense experience and enjoys high esteem in the international music world.' The Art and Music Foundation, Klosters, is proud to have gained such an experienced and innovative cultural manager and festival maker for Klosters Music: 'Christoph Müller has proven over many years in Gstaad that he can create outstanding artistic projects in a holiday destination,' says Foundation President Heinz Brand. He expressed gratitude towards the festival's founder and current artistic director David Whelton for advancing Klosters Music both in quality and firmly embedding it within the Swiss music landscape. 'We see great growth potential in the festival and are confident that Christoph Müller is the right person to achieve this,' Brand emphasizes.

Quality remains the guiding principle of Klosters Music.

'It has been a great pleasure for me to lead Klosters Music from its first edition to become a highly successful, ambitious, and unique summer music festival with a growing and loyal audience,' says David Whelton. 'Our relationships with internationally renowned artists like Sir András Schiff, Augustin Hadelich, Jan Lisiecki, Maxim Emelyanychev, Tarmo Peltokoski, Giovanni Antonini, and Pablo Heras-Casado, as well as the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen and the Munich Chamber Orchestra, have brought us many outstanding concerts,' notes David Whelton. 'Quality remains the guiding principle of Klosters Music, both on stage and in the experience of our guests.'

Profile is enhanced by the new 'Klosters Fine Violin Summit' project.

Regarding his upcoming role as artistic director of Klosters Music, Christoph Müller says: 'I am excited about a task where I can bring in my experiences and expertise as a concert organizer and festival maker, and set my own accents. This opportunity is significantly present in a young festival like Klosters Music, and I can help to realize visions. In doing so, I can build on the valuable work of my predecessor David Whelton. The basic structure of the festival will remain, but I want to profile the festival even more, particularly in connection with the new accompanying project 'Klosters Fine Violin Summit', to develop it into a classical music hotspot of the summer.'

A strong regional emphasis through resonance woods.

The newly planned project is also connected to his role as Vice President of the Swiss Stradivari Foundation Habisreutinger-Huggler-Coray, the most important Swiss institution for the preservation and allocation of historical string instruments: 'From 2027, two worlds will come together in Klosters: first-class music and the art of violin making, with scientific themes around violin crafting,' says Müller. 'This will also create a unique feature for the festival. I am excited to implement these new themes and formats together with highly qualified experts and leading musicians on-site.' This will create a strong regional connection, as the forests of Graubünden are known for the special resonance woods used worldwide to make first-class instruments, according to Foundation President Heinz Brand.

'Icons' as the festival theme for 2026

The upcoming 2026 festival (July 31 - August 9) is themed 'Icons' and presents renowned artists such as baritone Bryn Terfel, guitarist Milos, recorder player Maurice Steger, and pianist Sir András Schiff, who has been part of the festival since its inception. Significant orchestras have been invited, such as the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen under Edward Gardner and the Camerata Salzburg under Antonello Manacorda (piano: Lukas Sternath), who will perform iconic classical works like Beethoven's 5th Symphony and Tchaikovsky's 1st Piano Concerto (soloist: Boris Giltburg). But chamber music (Pacific Quintet, Septura Brass Septet London), the large-scale film music concert with Milos Forman's masterpiece 'Amadeus', live interpreted by the City Light Symphony Orchestra and the Zurich Sing Academy are also on the program. With the concluding concert and festival highlight 'To My Friends' on August 9, featuring Veronika Eberle (violin) and Timothy Ridout (viola) interpreting Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante and performing Edward Elgar's 'Enigma Variations', David Whelton will bid farewell as artistic director of Klosters Music.

With the summer festival 2026, festival founder David Whelton closes a defining chapter of Klosters Music. 2027 will see Christoph Müller open the next chapter with new impulses and the 'Klosters Fine Violin Summit' – in the same spirit of artistic excellence and with the goal of further developing Klosters as a festival location.

Presale for summer 2026

Written ticket pre-orders are possible from December 5. Online ticket sales at klosters-music.ch and at the Klosters and Davos tourist offices will start on March 1, 2026.

Media contact for inquiries:
Klosters Music
Art & Music Foundation, Klosters
Christine von Siebenthal
Head of Marketing & Communication
cvs@klosters-music.ch
Tel +41 77 410 87 85
Landstrasse 177
7250 Klosters

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