The Lucerne Festival has always been closely linked with the idea of refuge. At its opening concert under Toscanini—a conductor as well known for his bitter opposition to fascism as for his fiery interpretations—Lucerne was a sanctuary for musicians who either could not or would not perform in European countries occupied by the Nazis. For such towering figures as Bruno Walter, Otto Klemperer, and many others, the festival was a rare haven, where music-making with cherished colleagues could temporarily alleviate the awareness of the war and the sorrow of exile. The tradition of excellence continued after the war, with regular visits by the world’s leading orchestras, soloists, and chamber groups. By the early 1990s, however, the Festival Orchestra itself—the descendant of the ensemble that Toscanini conducted on that opening night—had disbanded.

When Claudio Abbado proposed reviving the Lucerne Festival Orchestra in 2000, he envisioned an ensemble hand-picked from Europe’s most distinguished soloists, chamber artists, and orchestral principals. The orchestra’s debut in 2003 was a sensation, its triumph made even more poignant by Abbado’s recent recovery from a life-threatening bout with stomach cancer. Abbado was exuberant about the new ensemble: “Everyone is there to enjoy making music, to take pleasure, to play with enthusiasm, with passion.”

The players themselves often speak of approaching their work like chamber music, of listening to their colleagues’ playing with the intimate focus associated with a string quartet. So once again, the Lucerne experience is that of a self-contained community, a place where one can join with close friends in the joy of creating great music.

Since 2003, the orchestra has toured and released several DVDs that have quickly spread its reputation as one of the finest orchestras now performing. It has also demonstrated a passionate commitment to today’s composers: in 2003, master modernist Pierre Boulez founded the Lucerne Festival Academy, which is dedicated to contemporary repertoire and frequently commissions new work.

The orchestra makes its United States debut in style on October 3 as it opens Carnegie Hall’s season with Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony and Fourth Piano Concerto, with Murray Perahia as soloist. The American maestro David Robertson conducts on Opening Night and returns the following evening for a reprise of Beethoven’s Ninth. Then, on October 6, Pierre Boulez, himself closely associated with these players and a master Mahlerian, conducts Mahler’s epic Third Symphony.

Seventy years after Toscanini’s vision, the Lucerne Festival Orchestra has been reborn, its horizons expanding each year. The world continues to listen to an ensemble that makes music from a world of its own.