The Golden Bow Award Names 2024 Winner

Violinist Meret Lüthi is awarded for her work in developing Bern’s Les Passions de l’Âme early music ensemble

Bestowed by the Foundation of the Swiss School of Violin Making in Brienz, Switzerland, the “Golden Bow” award has recognized outstanding achievements by renowned artists for over 20 years. 

The Golden Bow 2024 winner is violinist Meret Lüthi, who joins previous award winners including Tabea Zimmermann, Patricia Kopatchinskaja, Kim Kashkashian, and Sebastian Bohren, among others.

Lüthi is awarded for building up her internationally renowned early music orchestra in Bern, the Les Passions de l’Âme, of which she serves as artistic director.

The award jury also honored her “for sharing her impressive wealth of ideas and captivating programmes with audiences for over 15 years,” the press release states.

Presented at a ceremony as part of the opening concert of the Meiringen Music Festival from July 5–13, 2024, the award also includes a signature gold-mounted bow made by Finkel Bogenwerkstätte Brienz AG.

Lüthi has been developing and performing with Les Passions de l’Âme since 2008. As its concertmaster, she has appeared with the group at the Lucerne Festival, Tage Alter Musik Regensburg, Schwetzinger Festspiele, and Musikfest Stuttgart. 

Her collaborators have included artists such as Dorothee Oberlinger, Simone Kermes, Nuria Rial, and Kristian Bezuidenhout.

Mentored by Monika Urbaniak-Lisik and Eva Zurbrügg, she obtained both teaching and concert diplomas with distinctions. She also completed string quartet studies with Walter Levin, and studied baroque violin with Anton Steck. 

As an early music specialist, Lüthi has been a guest on Radio SRF 2 Kultur, Radio Suisse Romande Espace 2, Südwestrundfunk SWR 2, and Bayerischer Rundfunk BR. 

Additionally, she teaches baroque violin and historically informed performance practice at the Bern University of the Arts. 

Her accolades include the Music Prize of the Canton of Bern, and the Culture Prize of the Bürgi-Willert Foundation. Her discography released on Sony Music Switzerland, Ramée, and Dynamic, has been awarded the Diapason d’or, an OPUS KLASSIK award, the Premio Abbiati, and Classica’s 2023 CHOC de l'Année.