Swiss Alps echo with Alphorns at annual Nendaz festival

More than 100 alphorn players gathered high in the Swiss Alps on Sunday (July 26) for the International Alphorn Festival on the alpine pasture of Tracouet in Nendaz, where musicians from Switzerland and abroad performed unified ensemble pieces at 2,200 metres above sea level.

The annual event brings together around 100 alphorn players for its unique competition and its ensemble performances, offering spectators a glimpse into Swiss folklore and traditions. Organisers describe the festival as a major celebration of Swiss culture, featuring dancers, yodellers, bell ringers, whip crackers and flag wavers, as well as a parade with floats and cattle and an arts and crafts market with more than 20 exhibitors.

"It's refreshing, it's magnificent. And we're in a truly superb mountain setting like this, and it's really where the instrument lends itself to being played, to resonating," said Philippe Babaz, an alphorn player from France. 

Another French participant, Olivier Brisville said the instrument is more often played in towns, villages or halls than in the mountains, making the outdoor performance in its natural setting especially rewarding.

Patricia Monory, an alphorn player from Nendaz, said the gathering remained a special occasion despite having attended for years.

"It's always something special to play at Tracouet like this with 100 people. I think there are 150 of us today, so it's always a bit special and it's magical," she said.

Originally used to communicate from one valley to another, the alphorn once again echoed through the mountains as more than 100 players performed together.

For Philippe Chevalier of Gstaad, the appeal lies in the freedom of interpretation. 

"What's beautiful about a piece is thinking that the audience sees a story in it," he said. "That's the most beautiful thing that can happen: playing something that gives people goosebumps."

Filming, editing, production: Cecile Mantovani/Reuters