Zurich Chamber Orchestra

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Journey to Mozart (with Daniel Hope )
  DE 31 02/23/2018 (3 weeks)

The Zurich Chamber Orchestra ( ZKO , international Zurich Chamber Orchestra ) is a chamber orchestra based in Zurich . It was founded in 1945 shortly after the Second World War by Edmond de Stoutz and directed by him for half a century.

The ZKO consists of 28 permanent members (strings, flute, oboe, horn, harpsichord), occasionally other players are called in (e.g. strings, woodwinds, brass, harp and drums). The orchestra often plays with internationally known soloists and has toured the world several times. It has also recorded numerous works. In 2017, two recordings by the Zurich Chamber Orchestra were each awarded an Echo Klassik in the “Classical Without Borders” category. These are For Seasons with Daniel Hope as soloist and ÜberBach with Sebastian Knauer on the piano.

The orchestra gives around 40 concerts a year in Zurich. There are also around 40 children's concerts and numerous performances in other cities in Switzerland and abroad. In the 2016/17 season the total number of concerts rose to 151, which was a record for the orchestra.

In 1996 Howard Griffiths took over the direction of the Zurich Chamber Orchestra. From 2006 to 2011 it was directed by the Chinese conductor Tang Muhai . From the 2011/2012 season Roger Norrington was Principal Conductor of the orchestra, he was replaced by Daniel Hope on September 27, 2016 . The Zurich Chamber Orchestra u. a. with the early music specialist Maurice Steger .

Venues

Since 2002, the musicians of the Zurich Chamber Orchestra and the administration have been at home in the ZKO building near Zurich Tiefenbrunnen train station . The building is a former heavy current laboratory of the Swiss Electrotechnical Association (SEV). All rehearsals of the ZKO as well as chamber music and children's concerts, CD recordings and private concerts take place there. The concert hall can accommodate around 200 visitors.

The Zurich Chamber Orchestra organizes larger concerts with up to 1200 visitors in the Tonhalle or, during its renovation, in the “Tonhalle Maag”, in the Schauspielhaus Zurich and in various churches.

Tours

The Zurich Chamber Orchestra is one of the most traveled professional orchestras in the world. Of the around 6000 concerts given by the ZKO so far, 1800 have taken place abroad. Just six years after its founding, the ZKO gave its first concert abroad on May 21, 1951 at the Piccolo Teatro in Milan, where it also appeared for the first time under the name of the “Zurich Chamber Orchestra” (at the beginning the orchestra was still called “House Orchestra” Zurich Association »). In the years that followed, the ZKO gradually developed into a travel orchestra that traveled all over Europe, benefiting from its small size and flexibility. In January and February 1956, the ZKO became the first Swiss orchestra to tour North America. For a good two months, the orchestra toured the United States and Canada by bus and gave 38 concerts in 19 states. With an average of 60 concerts abroad per year, the 1960s developed into the orchestra's most traveled countries, and the ZKO's activities abroad remained extremely high until the end of the Edmond de Stoutz era (1945–1996). Four further tours through North America (1964, 1967, 1970, 1980, 1987), four tours through Greece with performances in the time-honored Herodes Attikus Theater (1963, 1966, 1977, 1985), an appearance on the huge stage of ancient Caesarea in today's Israel (1968), three tours through all of South America (1969, 1983, 1991), four tours through Asia and Oceania (1971, 1975, 1989, 1994) and two tours through the USSR (1974, 1985), where the ZKO was the first Swiss Orchestra, are just some of the highlights of the ZKO's rich touring activities under the direction of Edmond de Stoutz.

Under the successors of de Stoutz, the concert activities of the ZKO abroad decreased significantly. The orchestra clearly focused on Zurich and Switzerland. With both Howard Griffiths and Muhai Tang, the Eastern Hemisphere played a prominent role in terms of overseas concerts, with tours of China, Manila and Singapore. Under Sir Roger Norrington, the Zurich Chamber Orchestra had two appearances at the BBC Proms in July 2014 in the Royal Albert Hall .

With the engagement of Daniel Hope as the new Music Director, the focus was shifted back to foreign countries. Having been the organizer of the Savannah Music Festival himself since 2004, Hope accompanied the ZKO to numerous festivals all over Europe after taking office. Several weeks of tours took the orchestra to South Korea (2016), England (2016), South America (2017), Germany (2018) and the United States (2018). At the end of the Germany tour in 2018, the ZKO played for the third time in the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, which only opened in January 2017 .

Crossover projects

In recent years the Zurich Chamber Orchestra has carried out numerous crossover projects . Non-disciplinary artists such as the Indian sitar player Anoushka Shankar , the Swiss hard rock band Gotthard , the songwriter Pippo Pollina and the band Lunik embarked on a collaboration in which classical music merged with rock, pop or world music. In 2017 the ZKO played at the figure skating gala Art on Ice in Zurich. In the same year, at the Digital Festival 2017, it combined classical music with the techno beats of Pantha du Prince , dance and 3D video projections.

The ZKO's interest in experimental concert formats is also reflected in the priorities that the orchestra has set in recent seasons. With the election of the actor Klaus Maria Brandauer as “Artist in Residence” in the 2016/17 concert season, great importance was attached to the connection between classical music and the spoken word. The motto for the following season was “Art is in Residence”. Various art forms such as action painting or photography were integrated into the concerts. The new formats should not least inspire a younger audience for classical concerts.

Society of Friends of the ZKO (GFZKO)

From its foundation in 1945 to 1963, the Zurich Chamber Orchestra was largely self-supporting financially. Only through a high number of concerts at home and abroad (in the 1960/61 season there were 139 concerts, 58 of which were not in Switzerland) and a solidarity-based wage structure, the ZKO was initially able to keep afloat. Edmond de Stoutz waived a fee for years, and the musicians accepted family-related fees. This meant that musicians who were wives of high-income doctors, for example, accepted reductions in their fees in order to secure a basic income for poorer musicians with families. When the orchestra toured through Switzerland, the musicians also stayed mostly privately with people in the place where the concert was taking place.

In 1963, the lawyer and NZZ editor Urs Schwarz and Edmond de Stoutz initiated the founding of the Society of Friends of the Zurich Chamber Orchestra (GFZKO). In the commemorative publication for the 25th anniversary of the orchestra, the long-time GFZKO President Lorenz Stucki recalls the motivation for founding the company at the time: «The further development of this private company, which - as the only professional orchestra in the world without state support - belonged to international top class and had to pay starvation wages, was not foreseeable at the time. Almost every realistic consideration spoke against its future, and the founding of our society of private patrons appeared as an attempt to prolong an existence on the verge of extinction for an ensemble that was not inherently viable in our hard materialistic world. " At times, up to 1,600 members were involved in the orchestra. Today it is around two thirds less at 450. Among the members was and is represented by Federal Councilor Elisabeth Kopp , the brothers Walter and Heinrich Bechtler, the city presidents Sigmund Widmer and Thomas Wagner, the entrepreneurs Walter Haefner and Hans Heinrich Coninx and the NZZ editor-in-chief Fred Luchsinger . With the annual amounts averaging half a million francs, the company initially not only financed part of the orchestra's everyday costs, but also laid the foundations for the pension fund and the hardship fund for the musicians.

In addition to the GFZKO, the city of Zurich also ensured the survival of the ZKO from 1969. On March 14, 1969, the ZKO first submitted an application to the city council of Zurich for an annual subsidy. After consultation with the local council, the orchestra was awarded an annual subsidy of CHF 475,000 as well as the assumption of the accumulated deficits in the amount of 130,000.

In the same year, patrons from the GFZKO made it possible to buy a Stradivarius , which was once played by Gerhart Hauptmann's wife Margarete . Since then it has been made available to the respective concertmaster. When the orchestra got into financial distress in 2007 and the Stradivarius was to be sold, the GFZKO started the “Save the Stradivarius” campaign under the direction of its then President Regula Pfister. Within a very short time it was possible to collect 1.1 million francs, so that the intended sale could be abandoned. In the years that followed, the company repeatedly bought instruments for the orchestra: kettledrum, Vuillaume violins , harpsichords and travel double basses. The GFZKO were and are not just fundraisers. They are also ambassadors for the orchestra and its lobbyists. This was particularly important in the vote in 1983, when the Zurich electorate confirmed the increase in the operating subsidy for the orchestra with a large majority. But even when the Zurich city council commissioned a commission in 1994 to develop a “model for the Zurich professional orchestra” and the press wrote of the “guillotine over the chamber orchestra”, their commitment was in demand. The dissolution listed as a possibility in the mission statement could be prevented.

management

Chief conductor

Concertmaster

  • Rudolf Baumgartner , 1945–1954
  • Margrit Essek a. i./Herbert Scherz a. i./Harry Goldenberg a. i., 1954-1960
  • Elemér Glanz, 1960–1964
  • Wolfram König, 1964–1965
  • Volker Worlitsch, 1965–1966
  • John Bacon, 1966-1967
  • Nicolas Chumachenco, 1967–1979
  • Antonio Perez-Ruiz, 1979-1980
  • Robert Rozek a. i., 1980-1982
  • Zbigniew Czapczynski, 1982-2002
  • Winfried Rademacher, 2002
  • Klaidi Sahatçi, 2004-2007
  • Willi Zimmermann, 2008-

executive Director

  • Edmond de Stoutz, 1945–1951
  • Alexander Chasen, 1951–1983
  • Cyril Stauffenegger, 1983–1986
  • Robert Weeda, 1986-1987
  • Nelly Eschke, 1987-1996
  • Thomas Pfiffner , 1996-2005
  • Chandler Cudlipp, 2006-2008
  • Aviel Cahn , 2007-2008
  • Michael Bühler, 2008–2019
  • Lena-Catharina Schneider and Helene Eller, 2019-

President of the Zurich Chamber Orchestra Association (ZKOV)

  • Edmond de Stoutz, 1954-1969
  • Johannes Meili, 1969–1997
  • Hans Heinrich Coninx , 1998–2010
  • Isabel Kühnlein Specker, 2010–2017
  • Thomas Bahc, 2017–2019
  • Kathrin Martelli , 2019-

President of the Society of Friends of the Zurich Chamber Orchestra (GFZKO)

  • Lorenz Stucki, 1963–1981
  • Fred Luchsinger , 1981-1986
  • Xavier Bregenzer, 1986-1991
  • Felix HE Goessler, 1991–1998
  • Regula Pfister, 1998-2010
  • Hans Peter Portmann , 2010–2013
  • Thomas U. Müller, 2013–2016
  • Urs Fellmann / Peter Marschel / Willi Zimmermann, 2016–2018
  • Frank Arnold / Urs Fellmann / Marcel Gamma / Peter Marschel / Willi Zimmermann / Ruth Züblin, 2018

World premieres (selection)

Edmond de Stoutz era (1945–1996)

  • Peter Mieg : Concerto da camera per archi, pianoforte e timpani, June 1953 ( Kunsthaus Zürich ).
  • Paul Müller-Zürich : Sinfonia II in e for strings and flute op.53, June 1953 (Kunsthaus Zürich).
  • Wladimir Vogel : Goethe aphorisms for soprano and string instruments, September 19, 1955 ( Teatro La Fenice ).
  • Walter Gieseler : Concerto for String Orchestra, November 21, 1957 (Düsseldorf).
  • Paul Huber : Divertimento for strings, July 2nd, 1959 ( Tonhalle Zürich ).
  • Ernst Widmer : Hommages à Frank Martin, Béla Bartòk et Igor Strawinsky pour hautbois solo, timbales ad libitum et orchester à cordes, 11.1.1961 (Tonhalle Zürich).
  • Rudolf Kelterborn : Chamber Symphony II, August 21, 1964 ( Saanen Church ).
  • Robert Suter: Fantasia for clarinet, harp and 16 solo strings, October 6, 1965 (Zurich).
  • Klaus Huber : Cantio - Moteti - Interventiones, August 27, 1965 (Saanen Church).
  • Ferenc Farkas : Trittico concertato for violoncello and orchestra, 9/11/1965 (Teatro La Fenice)
  • Arthur Furer : Fantasy for piano and orchestra, May 26, 1968 (Tonhalle Zurich).
  • Armin Schibler : Hutten's Last Days for baritone and large orchestra, 7.6.1971 (Tonhalle Zurich).
  • Frank Martin : Polyptyque. Six images de la passion du Christ, 9.9.1973 (Lausanne).
  • Krzysztof Penderecki : Intermezzo for 24 strings, November 30, 1973 (Tonhalle Zurich).
  • Robert Blum : Concertino for clarinet in A and string orchestra, November 13, 1974 (Theater 11).
  • Albert Moeschinger : Chiaroscuro for string orchestra, October 2nd, 1977 (Tonhalle Zurich).
  • Eric Gaudiberg: Divertimento pour orchester à cordes, September 22, 1978 (Tonhalle Zürich).
  • Norbert Moret : Suite à l'image du Temps pour deux orchestres à cordes, January 13, 1980 (Tonhalle Zurich).
  • Rolf Urs Ringger : Adagio sospeso for string orchestra, 3.6.1984 (Tonhalle Zurich).
  • Meinrad Schütter : Piano Concerto, May 13, 1986 (Theater 11, conductor: Christof Escher).
  • Walter Baer: Souvenir de Brandenbourg, 9.2.1987 (Tonhalle Zurich).
  • Carl Rütti : Summer Night, June 13th, 1990 (Tonhalle Zurich).

Howard Griffiths Era (1996-2006)

  • Peter Wettstein : Blue Hour for 21 solo strings, April 14, 1998 (Tonhalle Zurich).
  • Christoph Stiefel : Sweet Paradox. Concert for piano, string orchestra and percussion, July 10, 1998 (Kaufleuten Zurich).
  • Christoph Neidhöfer: Glimpses (On the trail of a program), 8.4.1999 (Zurich School of Design).
  • Mischa Käser: Untitled I, 9.4.1999 ( St. Peter's Church ).
  • Roland Moser : Pas de deux imaginaire, April 13, 2000 (St. Peter's Church).
  • Heinz Marti: Muotathaler Nachtmusik for string orchestra and Schwyzerörgeli, June 15, 2000 (Tonhalle Zurich).
  • Martin Schlumpf : Waves. Concerto for solo cello, obligatory trumpet, string orchestra and computer, May 24, 2002 (Murten).
  • Mario Beretta: Portrait of a String Orchestra, 5.6.2002 (ZKO House).
  • Robert Suter: Aria, September 4th, 2002 ( Winterthur town hall ).
  • Ernst Pfiffner : Biblical scene, September 4, 2002 (Winterthur town hall).
  • Rolf Urs Ringger: Steps in the Night, November 6, 2002 (Tonhalle Zurich).
  • Stefano Gervasoni : Un leggero ritorno di cielo for 22 strings, July 4th, 2003 (Tonhalle Zurich).
  • Bettina Skrzypczak: Phototaxis for string orchestra, July 4th, 2003 (Tonhalle Zurich).

Muhai Tang era (2006-2011)

  • David Sonton-Caflisch: Winter, March 18, 2007 (Tonhalle Zurich).
  • Rodolphe Schacher : Apparitions, March 10, 2008 (Tonhalle Zurich).
  • Tan Dun : Symphony for Strings, May 12, 2009 (Tonhalle Zürich, conductor: Tan Dun).
  • Daniel Schnyder : Faust Concerts Part 1 & 2, 10/11 June 2010 (ZKO-Haus, conductor: Graziella Contratto ).
  • Heinz Spoerli : Ballet: Death and the Maiden, June 19, 2010 (Tonhalle Zürich, direction: Willi Zimmermann).

Era Sir Roger Norrington (2011-2015)

Willi Zimmermann era (2015-2016)

  • Fabian Müller : Canto for string orchestra, March 1st, 2016 (Tonhalle Zürich)

Era Daniel Hope (2016-)

  • Matthias Mueller : Piccolo Concerto Grosso for 2 basset clarinets, April 28, 2017 (ZKO-Haus).

Discography (selection)

literature

  • Marschel, Peter / Révai Peter: The Zurich Chamber Orchestra. Upstream with music . NZZ Libro 2018.
  • GFZKO (ed.): 25 years of the Zurich Chamber Orchestra. A portrait , Zurich 1978.
  • Zurich Chronicle. Culture magazine of the Canton of Zurich, volume 66 vol. 3 , Zurich 1998.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Zurich Chamber Orchestra in the German charts
  2. ^ Johann Buddecke: Champions League of the Classic Concerti, October 30, 2017. Accessed July 10, 2018.
  3. ^ Julia Spinola: A homecoming to Zurich. In: NZZ . September 9, 2016 .;
  4. ↑ a b Silvano Berti: At home in Zurich . In: Peter Marschel / Peter Révai (ed.): The Zurich Chamber Orchestra. Upstream with music . NZZ Libro, Zurich 2018, p. 159-163 .
  5. ↑ The ZKO-Haus website of the Zurich Chamber Orchestra. Retrieved July 6, 2018.
  6. ^ A b Silvano Berti: About tours of the Zurich Chamber Orchestra . In: Peter Marschel / Peter Révai (ed.): The Zurich Chamber Orchestra. Upstream with music . NZZ Libro, Zurich 2018, p. 127-139 .
  7. ↑ TV report about concert with Lunik Website of the Swiss radio and television (SRF). Retrieved July 6, 2018.
  8. ^ The ZKO at Art on Ice (Videos) Website of Art on Ice. Retrieved July 6, 2018.
  9. ↑ Video of the Digital Festival 2017 (incl. ZKO appearance) Website from Art on Ice. Retrieved July 6, 2018.
  10. ↑ Thomas Schacher: "Great, come again!" NZZ Online, April 14, 2016. Accessed July 6, 2018.
  11. ↑ Thomas Schacher: Zeit des Umbau NZZ Online, May 9, 2017. Accessed July 6, 2018.
  12. ^ Archives Edmond de Stoutz, "Concert List of the ZKO".
  13. ↑ a b c Peter Marschel: From the belief in quality . In: Peter Marschel / Peter Révai (ed.): The Zurich Chamber Orchestra. Upstream with music . NZZ Libro, Zurich 2018, p. 11–13 ( nzz-libro.ch ).
  14. ^ Lorenz Stucki: Our friend, the Zurich Chamber Orchestra . In: GFZKO (Ed.): 25 Years of the Zurich Chamber Orchestra. A portrait . Zurich 1978, p. 7-8 .
  15. ^ A b Jean-Pierre Hoby: String orchestra in the mirror of Zurich's cultural policy . In: Peter Marschel / Peter Révai (ed.): The Zurich Chamber Orchestra. Upstream with music . NZZ Libro, Zurich 2018, p. 199–203 ( nzz-libro.ch ).
  16. ^ Roger Cahn: Zurich Chamber Orchestra under the guillotine. Save money in the wrong place: The cheapest and most popular orchestra should go! In: ZüriWoche . March 3, 1994.
  17. ^ Peter Marschel / Peter Révai: The Zurich Chamber Orchestra. Upstream with music. NZZ Libro, Zurich 2018, p. 234-236 ( nzz-libro.ch ).