Bergen Festival 2026: Hagen Quartet Farewell, Davidsen Sings Schubert, Salonen Conducts Messiaen (faz.net)

• Hagen Quartet performs Beethoven Op. 135 as part of farewell tour
• Lise Davidsen and James Baillieu captivate with all-Schubert program
• Esa-Pekka Salonen conducts Messiaen's Turangalîla Symphony

"At this year's Bergen International Festival, Scandinavia's largest multi-arts festival, several notable performances took center stage. The Hagen Quartet, on its farewell tour, performed Beethoven's String Quartet Op. 135 at Håkonshallen. Soprano Lise Davidsen and pianist James Baillieu gave a sold-out recital of Schubert lieder. Conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen opened the festival with Messiaen's Turangalîla Symphony, preceded by Wagner's Tristan prelude. Artistic director Lars Petter Hagen emphasizes artistic quality over political polemics. Piano recitals by Alexander Gadjiev, performances by Mari Boine, and Milo Rau's theater group also featured."