Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich

The Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich was founded in 1868 with the purpose of enriching Zurich’s musical life with a permanent professional ensemble. The first 80 years of its history were shaped by the conductors Friedrich Hegar and Volkmar Andreae, each of whom stood at the helm for about four decades. In the more recent past, it was David Zinman above all who led the orchestra to international renown as Chief Conductor (1995-2014); he now serves as Honorary Conductor. Paavo Järvi has been Music Director since the 2019-20 season. The Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich currently comprises approximately 100 musicians from about 20 countries and presents around 50 different programs at more than 100 concerts each season. This number also includes numerous guest performances, which to date have taken the orchestra to more than 30 different countries. The Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich regularly works with renowned conductors and soloists. It has established a Conductor’s Academy to promote the emerging generation on the podium. Through children’s, family, and school concerts, as well as workshops and a variety of related extra events, a wide range of offerings aimed at new audiences is available. The Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich has released more than 40 CD recordings. The first recording projects made with Paavo Järvi won immediate critical acclaim, receiving the Diapason d’or (recordings of works by Messiaen, Tchaikovsky, and John Adams) as well as the German Record Critics’ Award. A Bruckner cycle is currently in progress. In 2022, the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich received the European Culture Prize.

Lucerne Festival (IMF) debut on 30 August 1991 under the baton of Christoph Eschenbach in a program of works by Mozart, Furrer, and Dvořák.

August 2024