APPLY | Switzerland’s Lucerne Festival — Director

The successful candidate will succeed longtime director Michael Haefliger in the full-time role as of 2026

Since 1999, Michael Haefliger has served as executive and artistic director of the Lucerne Festival and will be stepping down in 2025. The festival’s global effort to search for an internationally distinguished and networked figure has already begun. .

Founded in 1938, the Lucerne Festival is a leading presenter of classical music ranging from the canonical repertoire to the present. The core of the festival is the annual summer festival, which takes place in August and September with around 100 events. 

To begin their tenure in 2026, the successful candidate will be responsible for the continued development and execution of strategy in cooperation with the Board of Trustees, plus management of the Lucerne Festival Orchestra, Lucerne Festival Academy, Lucerne Festival Contemporary Orchestra, and potential new projects.

The minimum education level is a Master’s degree and the minimum experience level in similar roles is no less than 10 years. It is hoped that the successful candidate will be available for several years in this role.

Requirements for the role include high leadership and artistic skills, business competency, fluency in German both written and spoken, and an academic education in music plus cultural management, economics, or law.

To apply, click here, or send an application to Egon Zehnder at [email protected].

For more information, click here.