Serge Rachmaninoff Foundation: “Cultivating the artistic legacy of the eminent composer, conductor and pianist”
The Serge Rachmaninoff Foundation was founded in 2000 by Alexander Rachmaninoff, the grandson of the composer, conductor and pianist Sergei Rachmaninoff. The mission of the Foundation is to cultivate and promote his musical, artistic and visionary work.
In 1917, Sergei Rachmaninoff – already a celebrated artist – emigrated to the USA with his family due to the turmoil created by the October Revolution. His longing for the old Europe later led him to Switzerland. In 1930, he bought a plot of land on the Hertenstein peninsula in Weggis, in the canton of Lucerne, where he had Villa Senar built in the Bauhaus style. Here he returned to composing after a long creative break. With the outbreak of the Second World War, Rachmaninoff returned permanently to the USA, where he died shortly before his 70th birthday in 1943.
Alexander Rachmaninoff’s death cast a shadow of uncertainty over the future of a legacy so closely associated with its creator. During this period of uncertainty, the Foundation assumed the care and maintenance of Villa Senar and succeeded in having it listed as a historical monument. Finally, the ownership situation was clarified when the Canton of Lucerne acquired the property with the aim of preserving it as a cultural asset for the public. Villa Senar has now been mostly renovated, is open to the public and is once again being used as a place of encounter.
The Serge Rachmaninoff Foundation is responsible for the cultural programme at Villa Senar. Besides hosting numerous prestigious recitals, it offers insights into music, architecture, art and literature through guided tours and lectures. The masterclasses and the annual scholarships for the support of young musicians are of great significance. With no public funding, the Foundation has succeeded in turning Villa Senar into a special place of music and culture that brings to life Rachmaninoff’s oeuvre and creative spirit.