Contemporary Music

New sounds, new formats, new experiences: There is much to discover in contemporary works.

A symphony orchestra is both an attractive and complex challenge for today's composers. This also applies to our Creative Chair, the Icelander Anna Thorvaldsdottir, who will be performing several of her works. To kick off the season, Paavo Järvi will conduct a work by her for the first time with "Archora". He finds it "very interesting that she achieves a sound that sometimes seems like an electronic sound," he says. "But she doesn't use it, she really just uses the instruments of the orchestra, and she has these moments where you're not quite sure how it works, how it's done. Fascinating!"

André de Ridder also conducts a work by Anna Thorvaldsdottir in his debut with the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, as well as compositions by the American Nico Muhly and the Icelander Daníel Bjarnason. And our focus artist Víkingur Ólafsson will perform the Swiss premiere of John Adams' piano concerto "After the Fall", which was written especially for him.

January 2025
Wed 22. Jan
19.30

Paavo Järvi & Víkingur Ólafsson

Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, Paavo Järvi Music Director, Víkingur Ólafsson Klavier Adams, Mahler
Thu 23. Jan
19.30

Paavo Järvi & Víkingur Ólafsson

Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, Paavo Järvi Music Director, Víkingur Ólafsson Klavier Adams, Mahler
Fri 24. Jan
19.30

Paavo Järvi & Víkingur Ólafsson

Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, Paavo Järvi Music Director, Víkingur Ólafsson Klavier Adams, Mahler
April
Thu 03. Apr
19.30

Eva Ollikainen & Hakan Hardenberger

Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, Eva Ollikainen Conductor, Håkan Hardenberger Trompete Wagner, Widmann, Thorvaldsdottir, Sibelius
Fri 04. Apr
19.30

Eva Ollikainen & Hakan Hardenberger

Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, Eva Ollikainen Conductor, Håkan Hardenberger Trompete Wagner, Widmann, Thorvaldsdottir, Sibelius
Sun 06. Apr
11.15

Literature and Music: Anna Schudt reads Icelandic sagas

Anna Schudt Lesung, Peter McGuire Violine, Antonia Siegers-Reid Viola, Ioana Geangalau-Donoukaras Violoncello, Ulrike-Verena Habel Cembalo, Anna Thorvaldsdottir Einführung in englischer Sprache Thorvaldsdottir
June
Thu 19. Jun
12.15

Chamber music lunch concert

George-Cosmin Banica Violine, Philipp Wollheim Violine, Gilad Karni Viola, Paul Handschke Violoncello Sibelius, Thorvaldsdottir, Grieg
December 2024
Thu 19. Dec
12.15

Chamber music lunch concert

Celloensemble des Tonhalle-Orchesters Zürich, Paul Handschke Violoncello, Anita Leuzinger Violoncello im Ensemble, Rafael Rosenfeld Violoncello, Sasha Neustroev Violoncello, Benjamin Nyffenegger Violoncello, Christian Proske Violoncello, Gabriele Ardizzone Violoncello, Anita Federli-Rutz Violoncello, Ioana Geangalau-Donoukaras Violoncello, Sandro Meszaros Violoncello im Ensemble, Andreas Sami Violoncello im Ensemble, Mattia Zappa Violoncello Thorvaldsdottir, Grieg, Tschaikowsky
November
Fri 29. Nov
19.30

Sonic Matter: André de Ridder

Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, André de Ridder Conductor, James McVinnie Orgel Thorvaldsdottir, Muhly, Bjarnason
October
Thu 24. Oct
12.15

Chamber music lunch concert

Haika Lübcke Flöte, Bassflöte, Isaac Duarte Oboe, Diego Baroni Klarinette, Bassklarinette, Michael von Schönermark Fagott, Kontrafagott, Tobias Huber Horn, Raphael Camenisch Baritonsaxophon Thorvaldsdottir, Nielsen, Grieg
September
Fri 20. Sep
19.30

Season opening with Paavo Järvi & Víkingur Ólafsson

Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, Paavo Järvi Music Director, Víkingur Ólafsson Klavier Brahms, Thorvaldsdottir, Strawinsky
Thu 19. Sep
19.30

Season opening with Paavo Järvi & Víkingur Ólafsson

Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, Paavo Järvi Music Director, Víkingur Ólafsson Klavier Brahms, Thorvaldsdottir, Strawinsky
Thu 19. Sep
12.15

Orchestra lunch concert with Paavo Järvi

Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, Paavo Järvi Music Director Thorvaldsdottir, Strawinsky
Wed 18. Sep
19.30

Season opening with Paavo Järvi & Víkingur Ólafsson

Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, Paavo Järvi Music Director, Víkingur Ólafsson Klavier Brahms, Thorvaldsdottir, Strawinsky
We thank our partners