At NUME Academy & Festival we support the new generations of the world's most talented musicians, providing extraordinary musical training and a unique professional experience. Young artists coming from across the world are given the opportunity to study and perform in an exclusive and uncompetitive environment dedicated to musical discovery and exploration of the musical interpretation.
The project also stems from the desire of the Academy's professors to give continuity and accessibility to the inestimable artistic and pedagogical heritage left by one of the most influential music personalities of the last century: Alberto Lysy.
Born in Buenos Aires, the five year-old Alberto began his violin studies with his father, and continued soon after with the celebrated teacher Ljerko Spiller. At seventeen years of age, after having won important national prizes, he headed for Europe. In 1955 he was a prize winner at the International Queen Elisabeth Competition in Brussels - the first time an Argentinean artist received that honor. On that occasion he met Yehudi Menuhin, a member of the jury together with David Oistrakh, Zino Francescatti and other famous violinists. Menuhin later became his teacher and mentor, and generously exposed him to the world stage.
Alberto Lysy participated in important European festivals together with musicians such as Benjamín Britten, Peter Pears, Pablo Casals, Gaspar Cassadó, Yehudi Menuhin and Nadia Boulanger. As a soloist he played under the direction of Pierre Boulez, Colin Davis, Sir Adrian Boult and Igor Markevitch, and with orchestras such as the New York Philharmonic, National Symphony of Washington, the London Symphony and Philharmonic Orchestras, to name but a few.
Whilst carrying out his performing career, Alberto Lysy initiated important pedagogical activities as Director of the International Menuhin Music Academy in Gstaad (Switzerland), and founded programs such as the Festival Delle Nazioni in Città di Castello, the International Festival Pontino in the Castello di Sermoneta, in Italy, the Recontres Musicales also in Switzerland and the Festival Lysy in Argentina. In 1971 Lysy created and directed the Camerata Lysy with which he achieved some of his greatest successes. His concerts and recordings with them have delighted audiences throughout the world.
His many successful students are a testament to his strong musical and personal influence and can be found in diverse countries performing and teaching to great critical acclaim.
Alberto Lysy died in Lausanne on December 30th, 2009.
