About us

For more than 220 years, the Luzerner Sinfonieorchester has inspired audiences in Lucerne and far beyond. Founded in the 1805/06 season, it is Switzerland’s oldest symphony orchestra and combines a strong sense of tradition with artistic curiosity and a spirit of discovery.

Today, the orchestra is an ensemble of international calibre, bringing together outstanding musicians from around 20 nations. Deeply rooted in Lucerne and at the same time internationally oriented, it represents the city of music Lucerne on tours worldwide and is the resident orchestra at the KKL Luzern.

A decisive step in its development was the expansion of the orchestra. This made it possible to broaden the repertoire in a sustainable way and strengthen the orchestra’s international profile. The expansion was realised through a privately funded model that is unique in Europe, made possible to a large extent by the Stiftung für das Luzerner Sinfonieorchester and its patrons.

At the Lucerne Theatre, the orchestra appears as the opera orchestra. Michael Sanderling has been Chief Conductor since the 2021/22 season.

The Luzerner Sinfonieorchester is actively committed to contemporary music, commissioning works from major composers such as Sofia Gubaidulina, Thomas Adès, Dieter Ammann and Wolfgang Rihm. At the same time, it places strong emphasis on supporting young talent through formats such as «Rising Stars», lunch concerts and the Arthur Waser Prize.

With its own orchestra academy and a wide-ranging music education programme, the orchestra creates lasting impulses for the next generation and has been recognised, among other distinctions, with the «Junge Ohren Preis».

Since 2021, the Luzerner Sinfonieorchester has had its own central venue for rehearsals, projects and education: the Orchesterhaus. In addition to rehearsals, the building hosts chamber concerts, recordings and numerous music education events.

The orchestra’s international profile is also reflected in its many recordings. In collaboration with Sony Classical and Warner Classics, it has released widely acclaimed albums in recent years, including works by Rachmaninov, Beethoven and Brahms, as well as the piano concertos by Grieg and Schumann with Elisabeth Leonskaja. Further releases are to follow.

The artistic development of the Luzerner Sinfonieorchester is substantially supported by the Michael und Emmy Lou Pieper Fonds.