Arts Global

The name of the group means simply: the "Friends of the Swiss Alphorn in Ticino", and its members have a common passion for playing this particular 3.4-meter-long instrument. It is the first alphorn group in Ticino, a canton located in southern Switzerland, and was founded in 1999 after a unique experience: a concert of 222 Swiss alphorns in St Moritz. The event was planned for the inauguration of a new train line heading to this most famous ski region in Switzerland.

The six members of the group have changed over the past decade, but the group president, Marco Fässler, has remained since the beginning. Michaela Jermini Lafranchi's start with the group, in 2005, was highlighted by a very unusual event: she directed the first Alphorn Meeting in southern Switzerland. The occasion featured over one hundred alphorns playing a concert together, and was a tremendous success. It renewed public interest in the alphorn, and Amici Corno delle Alpi Ticino selected the best players to join the sextet. The group has performed in Italy, Germany and Austria, and, in 2006, the United Kingdom. Even outside Switzerland, audiences are always attracted to the unique and particular sound of the alphorn.

The current members of Amici Corno delle Alpi Ticino are: Guido Lepori, Michaela Jermini-Lafranchi (director), Marco Fässler (president), Alberto Bettelini and the youngest member, Alessia Bellintani.

For more information, please visit www.cornodellealpi.ch.