The Settimane Musicali di Ascona, with its rich programme of symphony concerts, chamber music evenings and single instrument recitals, has come to represent, over the last sixty years, the most important classical music festival in the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland. The Ascona event plays host to the most famous musicians in the world, covering the full gamut of what the classical oeuvre can offer today, from symphony concert performances to chamber music orchestras, from choirs to single instrument recitals. Its history confirms that almost without exception, the world's most renowned artists have visited Ascona at least once, with many others returning several times: from Wilhelm Backhaus, host of the first "Settimana Musicale" in 1946 to Alfred Cortot; Clara Haskil to Dinu Lipatti; Arthur Rubinstein to Geza Anda. Among the finest conductors worldwide, Otto Klemperer, Ferenc Fricsay, Hans Knappertsbusch, Karl Schuricht, Sir Thomas Beecham and Ernest Ansermet, to name but a few, have provided just some of the highlights of the many unforgettable evenings in Ascona.