VFCO to unveil new landmark

The Verbier Festival Chamber Orchestra. Images courtesy of the event organizers

This evening, the renowned Verbier Festival Chamber Orchestra (VFCO) will present the inaugural concert at a new cultural landmark in Shenzhen’s Longgang District.

Under the baton of Gábor Takács-Nagy and featuring Daniel Lozakovich as concertmaster, the orchestra will perform Chinese composer Wang Danhong’s “Southern Radiance,” Bruch’s “Violin Concerto,” and Dvořák’s beloved” Symphony No. 9,” also known as “From the New World.”

Martin Engstroem (2nd L), Ding Zhongyuan (2nd R) and Zhu Yuhua (R) during a media briefing yesterday. 

The launch of the Shenzhen Verbier Festival 2026 opens a new chapter in the festival’s history — marking its first edition in Asia. Over 10 days, the festival will stage 24 concerts, seven public masterclasses, and a music education seminar, spanning symphonic programs, chamber music, recitals, and educational activities.

Eighteen of the concerts will be held at the city’s premier venue, Shenzhen Concert Hall in Futian downtown, with the remainder taking place at the Longgang International Arts Center in Bantian Subdistrict.

At the heart of the festival is the VFCO, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. Under Takács-Nagy’s direction, the orchestra will play a central role across several major symphonic programs, performing alongside leading soloists.

The festival’s artistic lineup includes pianists Yuja Wang, Lang Lang, Mikhail Pletnev, Chopin Competition winner Bruce Liu, and Denis Kozhukhin; cellists Mischa Maisky and Gautier Capuçon; violinists Joshua Bell and Janine Jansen; and violist Timothy Ridout, among others.

Public masterclasses will be led by Ridout, Capuçon, Maisky, Takács-Nagy, and Korean pianist Minsoo Sohn. Fourteen young music students, selected from numerous applicants, will have the chance to learn and perform alongside these masters in sessions open to 400 live audience members — offering a rare opportunity for fans to observe the nuances of performance up close.

Martin Engstroem

Martin Engstroem, founder and co-CEO of the Verbier Festival, shared with Shenzhen Daily how the classical tradition began in 1994.

“Verbier in Switzerland is a traditional winter resort for skiing enthusiasts. We started the festival to attract offseason tourists in summer, and it has grown into a treasured tradition for classical music lovers,” he recalled.

Engstroem noted that the festival’s appeal lies not only in its star-studded lineup but also in the rare opportunities it provides for young talents to learn and grow. Many of today’s most sought-after musicians, including Lang Lang and Yuja Wang, first attended the festival as emerging artists and later returned as featured soloists, passing on their expertise to the next generation.

A general view of the Longgang International Arts Center. 

“Another appeal of the festival is the opportunity for musicians and audiences to explore and experiment with new collaborations and new repertoire,” Engstroem added.

“Musicians often have big egos and mostly perform as soloists,” he said. “At the Verbier Festival, however, we arrange many chamber music concerts.

“With the Shenzhen Verbier Festival, our aim is not simply to present concerts abroad, but to extend a way of thinking about music. By bringing together great artists, young talents, and audiences in a spirit of openness, exchange, and shared experience, the Shenzhen Verbier Festival invites dialogue in this economic powerhouse and future-shaping city.”

To cultivate a city of music lovers, the festival offers specially discounted tickets for students for some concerts. Shenzhen Concert Hall will also allow students to purchase remaining tickets at a discount one day prior to each performance.

The park surrounding the Longgang International Arts Center. 

According to Zhu Yuhua, director of Longgang’s Culture, Media, Tourism, and Sports Bureau, the newly opened Longgang International Arts Center features a 1,500-seat opera theater, two smaller theaters, and a multi-function hall — all equipped with cutting-edge technology.

Inspired by the shape of musical instruments, the architecture spans 110,000 square meters and includes an outdoor plaza surrounded by a 45,000-square-meter park blooming with flowers year-round.

A giant poster for the Verbier Festival adorns the walls of Shenzhen Concert Hall.

A full list of concerts

8 p.m., Jan. 30

Verbier Festival Chamber Orchestra

Venue: Longgang International Arts Center

11 a.m., Jan. 31

Gautier Capuçon and Alexander Malofeev

Venue: Shenzhen Concert Hall

2:30 p.m., Jan. 31

Zhang Haochen in recital and quintet

Venue: Shenzhen Concert Hall

8 p.m., Jan. 31

Mikhail Pletnev recital

Venue: Shenzhen Concert Hall

11 a.m., Feb. 1

Daniel Lozakovich and Minsoo Sohn

Venue: Chamber Hall, Shenzhen Concert Hall

8 p.m., Feb. 1

Yuja Wang and Gautier Capuçon with VFCO

Venue: Shenzhen Concert Hall

11 a.m., Feb. 2

Timothy Ridout and Julien Quentin

Venue: Chamber Hall, Shenzhen Concert Hall

8 p.m., Feb. 2

VFCO with Joshua Bell, Janine Jansen, Timothy Ridout, Bruce Liu and others

Venue: Shenzhen Concert Hall

11 a.m., Feb. 3

Bruce Liu recital

Venue: Shenzhen Concert Hall

3 p.m., Feb. 3

Gautier Capuçon, Julien Quentin and others

Venue: Longgang International Arts Center

8 p.m., Feb. 3

Janine Jansen, Timothy Ridout, Lang Lang and others

Venue: Shenzhen Concert Hall

11 a.m., Feb. 4

Alexandra Conunova and Julien Quentin

Venue: Chamber Hall, Shenzhen Concert Hall

7 p.m., Feb. 4

Daniel Lozakovich and Bruce Liu

Venue: Longgang International Arts Center

8 p.m., Feb. 4

Joshua Bell, Mischa Maisky, Lang Lang and others

Venue: Shenzhen Concert Hall

11 a.m., Feb. 5

Joshua Bell and Alasdair Beatson

Venue: Shenzhen Concert Hall

8 p.m., Feb. 5

VFCO with Marc Bouchkov, Janine Jansen and Daniel Blendulf

Venue: Shenzhen Concert Hall

8 p.m., Feb. 5

Denis Kozhukhin recital

Venue: Longgang International Arts Center

11 a.m., Feb. 6

Alexander Malofeev recital

Venue: Chamber Hall, Shenzhen Concert Hall

3 p.m., Feb. 6

LiLa and Julien Quentin

Venue: Longgang International Arts Center

8 p.m., Feb. 6

Daniel Lozakovich, Mischa Maisky, Mikhaïl Pletnev and others

Venue: Shenzhen Concert Hall

11 a.m., Feb. 7

Janine Jansen, Daniel Blendulf and others

Venue: Chamber Hall, Shenzhen Concert Hall

8 p.m., Feb. 7

Bryn Terfel and Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra

Venue: Longgang International Arts Center

11 a.m., Feb. 8

Marc Bouchkov and Julien Quentin

Venue: Chamber Hall, Shenzhen Concert Hall

8 p.m., Feb. 8

VFCO featuring Mischa Maisky and Alexander Malofeev

Venue: Shenzhen Concert Hall