This is the 18th Ittingen Festival, and the pianist András Schiff and the oboist, pianist, composer, conductor and programme-builder Heinz Holliger are joined by their regular colleagues including Bruno Canino, Erich Höbarth, Miklos Perényi, Dénes Várjon and Christoph Richter, the Quatuor Mosaiques and Merel Quartet. There is one unforgettable late night concert by candlelight in the rococo chapel.

The theme this year will celebrate the 18th anniversary – 3 is the key for trios, 6 for sextets and 18 for the various Opus 18 works. The programme once revealed will as always astound with its originality and mix of the well-known and unheard. András Schiff now owns the 1820 Hammerflügel that had belonged to the Imperial family for a century – to hear him play Beethoven and Schubert on it is a revelation.

The Ittingen Charterhouse – where we also stay in modern rooms that echo the monastic cells - was established in 1152 and secularised in 1848. It is now a cultural foundation and alongside the wellpreserved buildings there is a celebrated rose garden and Jenny Holzer installation. The complex includes a modern concert hall, pleasant dining areas, organic farms and vineyards and a famous brewery, all in a rolling rural setting close to Lake Constance. There was recently a complete renovation of the facilities. A stork couple are always in residence and take turns feeding their growing brood (an unprecedented 3 chicks in 2011). There is time to walk – through the woods to the traditional charcoal kiln or through the fields to the river..

We visit some of the major art galleries in Winterthur (including the Römerholz gallery) and Zurich (including a private visit to the Bührle collection).

Click here to view full programme.