Towns & landscapes

Type

Riviera town

Address

1807 Blonay / 1806 Saint-Légier-La Chiésaz

Above Vevey and Montreux, the commune of Blonay – Saint-Légier holds a place apart in the music of the Riviera: that of work rather than the stage. The German composer Paul Hindemith spent his last years there and is recalled today by a silhouette in the Parc Mon Foyer; the Hindemith Music Centre in Blonay has hosted masterclasses ever since. It is there that the Sipiano festival holds its masterclasses, its seven concerts taking place each August in the church of La Chiésaz. All year round, Jeunesse & Musique trains the children and young people of the canton, from initiation to the large ensemble, on the Chemin des Vignerons. And it was here, at the Clos des Mésanges, that David Bowie settled in 1976: the chalet on the heights of Blonay remained his main residence until 1982, the years of the Berlin trilogy.

Blonay – Saint-Légier, music at work

Paul Hindemith, the last years

The German composer Paul Hindemith, one of the great names of 20th-century music, spent his last years on these heights. A silhouette in the Mon Foyer park recalls him, and the Hindemith Music Centre in Blonay keeps his name alive through masterclasses and encounters.

David Bowie’s chalet

On the same slopes, David Bowie too had his habits: his Blonay chalet was one of his Swiss refuges, minutes from the Montreux studios where he recorded. The Riviera, from the lake to the heights, was long his discreet garden.

Learning, playing: Sipiano, Jeunesse & Musique

Here, music is first a matter of passing on. The Sipiano festival gives its concerts each August at the La Chiésaz church; the Jeunesse & Musique association trains the canton’s children all year; and the Sylvia Waddilove Music Centre welcomes pupils and ensembles.

The Blonay–Chamby museum railway

For families, the big attraction departs from Blonay station: on summer weekends, the Blonay–Chamby museum railway runs venerable steam locomotives on a mountain line, up to its railway museum. A journey back in time, lake views included.

Related artists :Paul HindemithDavid BowieJoséphine Remy