Welcome to the 37th Astona Summer Music Academy for highly-gifted, young string players and pianists!
Saturday, July 19 - Sunday, August 3, 2025
at Sonnenberg in Baar (near Zug), Switzerland
We are looking forward to 31 students from 18 nations!
Astona is an international Summer Music Academy, accompanying many students on their path to a musical career and providing them 15 days with a free and protected space in which to work and grow and enjoy.
Founder (1988) and director
Nancy Chumachenco
in memoriam Kristoffer Dolatko
Kristoffer Dolatko died of a severe heart attack on 3 June 2025. He had been a violin teacher since 2008 and deputy director of Astona since 2011.
With him we are not only losing one of our most loyal violin teachers, but also a highly respected and very knowledgeable personality with unique qualities. He loved his students and did everything for them and their studies.We miss him very much and will keep him in honourable memory.
Astona International - a video portrait (2019)
“30 years of Astona”: Report in the main News edition of Swiss National Television , July 21, 2018
I started playing the cello after I heard a boy play and fell in love with the sound. My teacher was Nancy Chumachenco. Right from the start, she demanded a lot, but she didn't just support talented students for 30 or 60 minutes a week, but much more. There was chamber music and every year she organised a summer course with students from other countries. Meeting young people from South Africa, Finland or the USA was totally exciting for a twelve-year-old. We formed a network of friends that we could fall back on when we got older. Not many people were lucky enough to be guided by someone like Nancy Chumachenco from the moment they picked up an instrument.
Christian Poltéra, born 1977, participant 1988 – 1993, Renowned international soloist and chamber musician, professor at the Lucerne University of Music
At the age of 15-17, I was lucky enough to play the piano three times with Astona. I can say that these were the most important years of my musical development.
Philipp
Jordan, born
1974, participant
1980 - 1982, Musical director of the Vienna State Opera
I just wanted to say a huge thank you for Astona. I had the best time and learnt so much. This course has really positively impacted me by playing and I left feeling so inspired and excited to keep improving. Everyone was so wonderful and the staff were so incredible.
Viola student (female 23), from Australia participant in 2023
I am so infinitely grateful to have had the opportunity to participate in Astona and very thankful for all the effort that you and your team put into making
Astona online possible and so successful I had a really great time and learned so much more than I expected. I believe Astona has had a big impact on me as a
musician.
Cellist (female, 16), from Iceland, participant in 2021 (Astona Online)