Arab Bank Switzerland and the Athénéennes Festival are celebrating today the endless alliance of music and the seventh art. A richly diverse program where artistic excellence prevails. An eclectic mix of projects, a warm music and atmosphere emphasized by extraordinary musicians.

This edition of the Athénéennes wishes to pay tribute to the 7th art, and more widely to the almost essential links that unite music and cinema. Be it through “live” music, often improvised, during the silent film era; in its use by the directors of classical, contemporary or romantic pieces; in movies paying homage to music or instrumentalists; in musicals, from comedy-types, to specially composed film scores that have become as “iconic” as the movies themselves, these links are numerous, rich and creatively powerful.

This 12th edition will explore the big lovestory between music and the big screen, in an ideal venue: the Alhambra, once a movie theater referred to as “the most beautiful picture theater in Switzerland” at the beginning of the 20th century.

You will listen to the melodies of Bach, Handel, Schubert, Vivaldi, Brahms, Liszt, Mahler, Barber, Ravel, Debussy, Beethoven, Pärt, Wagner, Adams, Glass… used by numerous directors: Visconti, Kubrick, Bergman, Tarkovski, Scorsese, Lars von Trier, Lynch, Guadagnino, Louis Malle, Wim Wenders, Pasolini, Truffaut, Antonioni, Haneke, Wes Anderson, Sorrentino, Audiard, Sautet, Hitchcock… A few of these music scores composers figure also in the agenda: Lalo Schifrin, Leonard Bernstein, Nino Rota, Bernard Herrmann, Michel Legrand, Ennio Morricone, Bill Evans, Georges Delerue, John Barry , Giorgio Moroder…

The third parts of the evening and DJ sets will also reflect different cinematic trends. And, exceptional event that we’ve been looking forward to for several editions: the appearance on June 10th of actor John Malkovitch, a major figure in the world of cinema!