Fri, September 11, 2026
Summer Festival: Amanda Gorman & Jan Vogler

The world held its breath when, in 2021, the then 22-year-old poet Amanda Gorman, wearing a canary-yellow coat, recited her poem "The Hill We Climb" at the inauguration of US President Joe Biden. Her appearance was a blend of performance and sermon: Gorman envisioned her own "American Dream" and awakened the desire to transform a wounded world into a wonderful one. She struck a chord with the times, addressing current anxieties and fears while simultaneously offering hope. On September 11, 2026, the 25th anniversary of the devastating terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington, Amanda Gorman will be a guest at the Lucerne Festival. Together with cellist Jan Vogler, she will present an evening of poetry and music. Gorman's visionary verses will be juxtaposed with Johann Sebastian Bach's incomparable suites for solo cello: a bridge spanning 300 years. She recites between movements, but sometimes also speaks directly to the music. This creates a dialogue that—as Vogler emphasizes—strengthens faith in humanity and offers many surprising insights.

Program:
"An Evening of Poetry and Bach"

Amanda Gorman (*1998)
An Ode We Owe
Fugue
New Day's Lyric
What We Carry
The Hill We Climb

interwoven with:
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750)
Suite for Solo Cello No. 1 in G major, BWV 1007
Suite for Solo Cello No. 5 in C minor, BWV 1011
Suite for Solo Cello No. 3 in C major, BWV 1009

This concert has no intermission.

Tickets available from March 24, 2026 | 10:00 AM (CET)