History

It has become a formidable promotional tool for Colmar and Alsace, setting itself the goal of contributing to the international influence of the region through a top-quality classical music event.

Attracting the international music lover to Colmar is the long-term goal.

Today we can say that Colmar and Alsace benefit, thanks to the music festival,  from very good international media coverage. Since 1994, the New York Times has selected the Colmar International Festival among the 10 best festivals of Europe and among the 4 or 5 deserving of more interest in France. We can read articles about the festival in The Moscow News and El Pais, the Washington Post and the Frankfurter Allgemeine, Die Welt, Le Figaro, Le monde, as well as in Canadian, Swiss and Japanese press. It is a great success and undeniably increases the international reputation of Alsace.

First period, from 1980 to 1989

The festival's first period, with Karl Munchinger, the great German conductor, and his Stuttgart chamber orchestra, lasted ten years from 1980 to 1989. The festival remained during that time an event attracting only local and regional interest.

Second period, since 1989

Vladimir Spivakov The experience it acquired with Karl Munchinger led the Colmar festival to develop in a completely different direction during its second period. By choosing Vladimir Spivakov, a Russian violinist and conductor of international renown as its Artistic Director, the new International Festival of Colmar immediately became part of the international musical arena both  in terms of image and reputation.

Colmar International Festival tributes:

1989 Glenn Gould

1990 David Oïstrakh and the Russian violin school

1991 Jacqueline Du Pré and women artists

1992 Vladimir Horowitz

1993 Yehudi Menuhin

1994 Andrés Segovia, classical guitar, and Spain

1995 Arthur Rubinstein

1996 Ginette Neveu and French music

1997 Pablo Casals, cellist and composer

1998 Fiodor Chaliapine, Russian singers and music

1999 Leonard Bernstein, the art of conducting and American music

2000 Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, piano and Italy

2001 Joseph Szigeti, violin and Hungary

2002 Jean-Pierre Rampal, wind instruments and French music

2003 Krzysztof Penderecki, Poland, Polish music and Polish artists

2004 Jessye Norman, the United States and American musicians and composers

2005 Dmitri Chostakovitch and his musical world

2006 Emil Guilels

2007 Charles Munch

2008 Mstislav Rostropovitch

2009 Sviatoslav Richter