At the turn of the century, the idea of creating a chamber ensemble made up of the country’s best interpreters around a musical project on a Swiss scale came to be. Under the direction of Daniel Haefliger (Geneva), Jürg Dähler (Zurich) and Felix Renggli (Basel), the Swiss Chamber Soloists ensemble was founded in 1999, creating, for the first time, a common cycle between Basel, Geneva, Lugano and Zurich, the Swiss Chamber Concerts.
Thanks to innovative programmes and first class interpretations, the Swiss Chamber Soloists rapidly became an essential cultural member of the musical scene. Many a renowned musician has taken part in their concerts, such as Heinz Holliger, Thomas Zehetmair, Patricia Kopachinskaia, Ilya Gringolts, Lawrence Power, Christophe Coin, Julian Prégardien, Dénes Várion, Gilles Vonsattel, The Hilliard Ensemble and many others.
The Swiss Chamber Soloists’ repertoire extends from Baroque – on period instruments – to modern and contemporary music. The ensemble has first performed several world creations of works which, for the most part, were dedicated to it. Its implication in the music of today is reflected by the numerous executions of major composers such as Carter, Cerha, Dusapin, Ferneyhough, Kurtág, Ligeti, Yun, Zehnder, as well as the premieres of a great number of works by Swiss composers such as Blank, Dayer, Furrer-Münch, Gaudibert, Gubler, Haubensak, Hefti, Holliger, Käser, Kelterborn, Kessler, Kyburz, Lehmann, Moser, Rosenberger, Roth, Schnyder, Skrzypczak, Tognetti, Wyttenbach, Vassena or Zimmerlin. From the very start, the Swiss Chamber Soloists have given concerts throughout Europe, Asia and Australia. Their excellent reputation is confirmed by countless positive reviews and radio or CD recordings.
The federal structure of the Swiss Chamber Concerts made it possible to finance the composition, creation and concert production of all the works on this CD. We would like to thank the Federal Office of Culture, Pro Helvetia, the public institutions in Geneva, Basel, Zurich and Lugano as well as private organisations throughout Switzerland for their generous support over the years. Our special thanks go to all the musicians who participated in this recording for their talent and personal involvement as well as to the Association of Friends of Swiss Chamber Concerts Geneva and the Förderkreis Swiss Chamber Concerts Zürich.
Heinz Holliger, oboe
Felix Renggli, flute
Irene Abrigo, violin
Daria Zappa, violin
Jürg Dähler, viola
Daniel Haefliger, cello