"A memorial, a recollection of all the wonderful times I had with Mr. Boulez"—Dai Fujikura

This summer’s Lucerne Festival will feature composer Marco Stroppa as composer-in-residence with several world premieres as well as a performance of Francesca Verunelli’s acclaimed wo.man sitting at the piano I for Flute and Player Piano. Furthermore, August 23 marks the world premiere of Dai Fujikura’s Ritual, a new chamber orchestra work with live electronics. The performance will take place at Lucerne’s iconic KKL, performed by the Lucerne Festival Contemporary Orchestra and conducted by Jonathan Nott, with electronic realization by IRCAM.

Event details at lucernefestival.ch

About Ritual

“I don’t know what I want to do with this piece yet, but I’ll do everything opposite to what Mr. Boulez has done before — and would do today!”—Dai Fujikura

Commissioned in 2025 to honour the 100th anniversary of Pierre Boulez’s birth, Ritual is conceived as Fujikura’s companion piece to Boulez’s renowned Répons, which will be performed in the same concert.

The title reflects Fujikura’s deep respect and personal connection to his mentor. He describes it as “a memorial, a recollection of all the wonderful times I had with Mr. Boulez,” noting their “life changing, face to face conversations” and extensive correspondence.

Over sixteen minutes, Ritual blends orchestral chamber forces with precisely crafted electronics developed at IRCAM, where Fujikura and IRCAM’s team challenged themselves by continually asking—“Does it sound anti Boulez”?—as a guiding question in the creative process.

Still, Fujikura admires Répons deeply—“perhaps my favorite piece of all time”—and hopes Ritual will stand as a heartfelt tribute and continuation of Boulez’s legacy.