SWISS ORCHESTRA
Swissness with a pioneer spirit
Established venues –
Big Emotions
This dynamic ensemble – which TV presenter Jann Billeter has described as "Switzerland’s national team for music" – performs across the whole country, from Geneva to Basel and from Graubünden to Zurich. It builds bridges as it does so, overcoming both Switzerland’s linguistic barriers and all manner of prejudices against classical music. Since 2022, the Swiss Orchestra has been the Orchestra-in-Residence at the Andermatt Concert Hall.
Together with soloists such as Alina Pogostkina and Michael Barenboim (violins), Raphaela Gromes (cello), Emmanuel Pahud (flute), Reto Bieri (clarinet), Heinz Holliger (oboe), Viviane Chassot (accordion), Fazıl Say, Olga Scheps and Oliver Schnyder (piano), Jeanine De Bique (soprano), Marie-Claude Chappuis (mezzo-soprano), Rolando Villazón and Piotr Beczala (tenors), Thomas Hampson (baritone), Stephan Eicher, Bligg and Marc Sway (pop singers) and Bernhard Russi (narrator), the Swiss Orchestra has performed at the Zurich Tonhalle, the Casino de Montbenon in Lausanne, the St. Gallen Tonhalle, the Bern Casino, the Victoria Hall in Geneva, the Basel Stadtcasino and the Andermatt Concert Hall.
The Swiss Orchestra has also given concerts abroad, from Spain (the Auditorio Nacional de España in Madrid and the Kursaal in San Sebastián) to Monaco (Opéra de Monte Carlo) and even Saudi Arabia (the Maraya Concert Hall at AlUla).
MISSION
Fascination & discoveries
Switzerland is famous for many things, but not for itssymphonic music. Swiss composers of the Classical and Romantic eras remainlargely unknown, both at home and abroad. The Swiss Orchestra aims to bring themand their works back to life for a broad audience, which is why it programmes rediscoveredgems of Swiss music alongside well-known masterpieces of the repertoire.
Facts
Did you know?
…the Swiss Orchestra was founded and rapidly madea name for itself.
…is the number of Swiss concert halls that the SwissOrchestra has already visited.
…feet above sea level is the altitude of the AndermattConcert Hall, the home venue of the Swiss Orchestra.
…pioneer spirit, curiosity, passion and enthusiasmfor Swiss music: That's what characterises the Swiss Orchestra.
Lena-Lisa Wüstendörfer
Music Director
Lena-Lisa Wüstendörfer is the Music Director of theSwiss Orchestra. She is also the Intendant of ANDERMATT MUSIC and is thusresponsible for concert planning in the Andermatt Concert Hall. Born in Zurichin 1983, Lena-Lisa Wüstendörfer studied the violin and conducting at the BaselMusic Academy, and musicology and economics at the University of Basel, whereshe also took her doctorate in musicology. She furthered her conducting studieswith Sylvia Caduff and Sir Roger Norrington, and also worked as an assistantconductor to Claudio Abbado.