The Lucerne Festival Academy is an orchestra-sized educational institution devoted exclusively to the interpretation and performance of contemporary classical music.
[4] In recent years, guest conductors including David Robertson, Peter Eötvös and Sir Simon Rattle have been invited to lead masterclasses and conduct concerts, with Boulez being present for the last time in 2013.
A day of concerts featuring Boulez's music paired with world premieres was performed in August 2015 to celebrate his 90th birthday,[5] and following his death in January 2016 a memorial concert was performed by alumni of the Academy, featuring pieces which he had conducted at the Academy alongside two of his own works.
This newly conceived Festival orchestra for the music of our time comprises members of the international Academy network.
In both large and small formations, the LFCO performs concerts at the Academy during the Summer Festival, followed by guest appearances abroad.