I n 2019 women will take the starring role of the Festival !

WOMEN

E nchanting muses,
L earned composers
and E nlightened interpreters

Until recently in the history of the string quartet, women acted almost exclusively as sources of inspiration: a young and desired woman in Janacek's Intimate Letters, an abandoned woman in Respighi's Il Tramonto, a young girl as a symbol of purity in Schubert's Death and the Maiden Quartet. The figure of the woman has indeed sparked many fantasies and served as inspirations in the art. For this 44th session of the Luberon International String Quartet Festival, however, we want to pay tribute not only to these muses but also to female composers and performers – active participants in the music world.

In the past, female composers were rare, much as is the case in painting or literature. Very often women worked in the shadows, in conditions that did not fit the role they played in the society of the time. Among these "heroines", the Festival will highlight two legendary figures: Clara Schumann-Wieck, whose 200th birthday will be celebrated next September, and Fanny Hensel-Mendelssohn, 14 years older than Clara. Works of the early Eighteenth Century by Elisabeth Jaquet de la Guerre, and Julie Pinel will also be heard.

Today, although we are still far from parity in terms of musical creation, female composers are better represented than ever before. We are proud to present this year works by Sofia Gubaïdulina and Xu-Li, and to welcome as composer-in-residence the virtuosic Camille Pépin, one of the most promising composers of her generation.

Finally, whilst string quartets musicians have been almost exclusively male for many years, women today are much more numerous in this realm. This year, the festival also wishes to pay tribute to and showcase these women performers.

The string quartet is life!

Each quartet sings, telling the story of life in its own way.

Being the artistic directors of the Luberon International String Quartet Festival means having the opportunity to invite superlatively talented quartets and other musicians. They tell about life in all its forms and invite us to explore a world full of colours, textures and emotions. In this spirit, our resident chef during these ten days will compose menus related to each concert!

During the Festival, we welcome all types of audience members, from the neophyte to the most knowledgeable music connoisseur. We want everyone to discover the world of the string quartet, through the sound of artists and composers of yesterday and today, in the idyllic setting of the Luberon.

Being artistic directors of the Festival means having the opportunity to create an international and timeless playground on which we can dream together musically.