Breaking: Verbier sends academy players home

Academy members of the Verbier Festival Orchestra were told today that they should leave the event without delay after an outbreak of 16 Covid infestions, which the festival says has been contained within a bubble.

The Academy musicians, aged 18 to 28, are being helped financially and administratively to leave.

The festival’s opening concert on Friday will be played by a chamber orchestra made up of the academy’s instructors, who are mature professionals.

Further changes to the programme will be decided tomorrow.

Slipped Disc has received messages from distressed young musicians over the secrecy and arbitrariness of these moves. ‘All the kids are crying and in a panic mode!’ one musician tells us.

A group of youngsters who arrived today are facing instant departure.

UPDATE: We hear that one vaccinated US wind player has come down with Covid-19 and is suffering serious breathing difficulties.