Bienvenue, Jonathan Nott with the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande (OSR) and Khatia Buniatishvili

The history and repute of the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande are closely linked to Ernest Ansermet, its founder and first principal conductor – a position he would ultimately hold for half a century. It was a time of new beginnings, also in music, and the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande soon became a world-renowned ambassador for new music. Ansermet was a personal friend of Stravinsky, and also championed the music of Swiss composers, especially Honegger, with endless enthusiasm. It is also worth remembering that as early as 1915, Ansermet made his debut with the Ballets Russes, which made numerous guest appearances under his direction at the Grand Théâtre de Genève and in Montreux. Jonathan Nott has been chief conductor of the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande since 2017. His tenure of the same post with the Luzerner Sinfonieorchester from 1997 to 2002 is well remembered, not only in Lucerne. That, too, was a fruitful time of new beginnings, but now it’s “Bienvenue, les Romands!” Performing works by Honegger and Stravinsky, they bring us music by composers with whom they have made history.

The Orchestre de la Suisse Romande and the Luzerner Sinfonieorchester have joined together in a long-term collaboration promoting exchange between the two institutions.