Daniel Dodds in an interview

"If I'm not paying attention, this violin will give it away immediately."

Dodds is an inspiring musical force. His enthusiasm and captivating energy on stage evoke a sense of joy in his fellow musicians and the audience.

Concerts have taken Daniel Dodds to important venues on every inhabited continent – ​​as artistic director of the Festival Strings Lucerne, as a soloist with conductors such as Zubin Mehta, Vladimir Ashkenazy , Oksana Lyniv, Alexander Briger, and Stanley Dodds, as well as a chamber musician, documented in numerous live radio and television recordings. The Hamburg Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestra della Svizzera italiana, the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, the Brisbane Symphony Orchestra, the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra, the Sophia Philharmonic Orchestra, the Australian World Orchestra, and the Festival Strings Lucerne are among the orchestras with which Daniel Dodds has collaborated as a soloist.

You moved from Australia to Switzerland at 17 to continue your violin studies. How did you experience this change?
Today, I consider Switzerland my home. I have a Swiss passport, am married to a Swiss woman, and although my two children have Australian passports, they grew up in Lucerne and are definitely influenced by many Swiss cultures. I feel comfortable here and appreciate many things about this fantastic and fascinating country, especially the Swiss people. At 17, however, it was quite an adjustment. The weather, the culture, the customs—everything seemed different, like night and day. And then there was the language! Making direct contact with people seemed almost impossible at the time. Eventually, I gave up trying to adapt down to the smallest detail and discovered that the best way to connect with Swiss people was with a relaxed smile and a playful approach. This attitude applies all over the world!

You are the artistic director of the Festival Strings Lucerne. What makes this orchestra so special?
Recently, the Festival Strings performed a purely Beethoven program with piano legend Maria João Pires at the sold-out Megaron in Athens. The audience was ecstatic. What makes this orchestra so special? Perhaps the best person to answer that question is someone who has heard the Strings live. Since I was appointed artistic director 10 years ago, a culture of collaborative music-making has developed within the Strings that I believe is unique.
We love playing music of the highest caliber for the audience out of pure joy and enthusiasm. This vibrant zest for life is highly contagious for everyone in the hall and is one of the reasons why many top-class soloists, such as Maria João Pires, Midori, Helene Grimaud, Rudolf Buchbinder , and Khatia Buniatschwili, are so happy to perform with us. I myself like to call the Festival Strings Lucerne "my absolute all-time favorite band!!!"

Since 2008, you have been a member of the Lucerne Festival Orchestra and also perform as a chamber musician within its ranks. How did this come about, and what is special about it for you?
Following a personal invitation from Claudio Abbado in 2008, I experienced wonderful concerts with the Festival Orchestra until his death in 2014. During this time, I began working as Artistic Director of the Festival Strings, and soon it became impossible to continue playing with the Lucerne Festival Orchestra. In 2018, I received an invitation to become concertmaster of the Australian World Orchestra, an orchestra comprised of the finest Australian musicians from around the world. It includes members, section leaders, solo wind players, and concertmasters from some of the world's best orchestras: the Berlin Philharmonic, the Vienna Philharmonic, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Chicago Philharmonic, the Munich Philharmonic, the London Philharmonic, and many more. These projects offer a true reunion of friends and colleagues who come together from all corners of the world for a short but intense period to play sold-out and highly acclaimed concerts in Australia, England (including the London Proms), Asia, Singapore, and India. These concerts feature the Australian World Orchestra under renowned conductors such as Sir Simon Rattle, Zubin Mehta, and Riccardo Muti. For me, it is always a unique experience to play concerts with this orchestra.

You also perform as a soloist and have collaborated with renowned conductors such as Ashkenazy, Mehta, and Abaddon. Are there any particular experiences or events that stand out in your memory?
When Maestro Zubin Mehta first heard me as concertmaster, he immediately invited me to perform as a soloist with the principal violist of the Vienna Philharmonic on a tour of India with the Australian World Orchestra, playing Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante. Things can happen that quickly sometimes. Last September, Zubin Mehta returned to Australia after a serious illness to conduct the Australian World Orchestra, probably for the last time. On the program was Richard Strauss's "Ein Heldenleben" (A Hero's Life). He wanted me to play the famous concertmaster solo. During the applause, Zubin Mehta thanked me very humbly and said how special this "Ein Heldenleben" was for him. In my embarrassment, I mumbled something unintelligible. Because I was the one who should be thankful for being able to make music with such a legendary conductor.

You also have experience with crossover projects involving jazz, tango, and Far Eastern music. What fascinates you about these projects?
It's the opportunity to collaborate with fantastic and inspiring musicians from other genres that always captivates me about such projects. I can immerse myself in other worlds and exchange ideas with musicians from different genres.

You yourself are a lecturer in violin and chamber music at the Lucerne School of Music. How would you describe your teaching style, and what is important to you in your teaching?
I don't know if I have a specific teaching style. For me, the student and their needs are central to my teaching. These can vary greatly from person to person, depending on talent, ambition, development, and so on.
Above all, it's important to me that the young musicians find their own way to express themselves naturally with their instrument.

You play a Stradivarius from 1717. What is your relationship to this instrument?
I see it as a privilege and also a great responsibility to be able to play this wonderful instrument. This violin is my tool; I use it to make music, but at the same time, and perhaps even more importantly, it serves as a source of inspiration, both sonically and mentally, as a direct reflection of my imagination. What I dare to dream, the instrument returns without distortion, directly and without sentimentality. If I'm not fully present, this violin betrays it immediately. But when I get carried away, when a torrent of inspiration floods me, the sounds that emerge from it are pure poetry without words, perceptible to all. A miracle.

What other passions do you have besides music?
Besides my work as Artistic Director of the Festival Strings, the many concert tours, and teaching, there isn't much time left for hobbies. I very much enjoy spending time with my family and closest friends. One of my hobbies is Tae Kwon Do, in which I hold a black belt. Tae Kwon Do allows me to recharge my energy; I'm surrounded by colleagues in training who bring a dedication and passion to the sport that constantly excites and inspires me. This enthusiasm then flows back into the musical world in which I move.

Interview by Florian Schär | Classicpoint.net | March 1, 2023
Photo: Dorothee Falke

Next concerts

May 31, 2026 - Romantic music from Leipzig with Nelson Goerner
June 10, 2026 - Anastasia Kobekina: Elgar's Cello Concerto
June 20, 2026 - Buchberg Classix: Between Worlds: Chamber Music from Duo to Septet
July 11, 2026 - Nelson Goerner & Festival Strings Lucerne Chamber Players - Chamber Music
July 12, 2026 - Martha Argerich, Nelson Goerner, Bomsori Kim, Festival Strings Lucerne
September 3, 2026 - Summer Festival: Classics for Everyone - 40 min
October 24, 2026 - Claire Huangci & Daniel Dodds - A Chamber Music Highlight