The Luzerner Sinfonieorchester has been delighting audiences in Lucerne and beyond for over 220 years. As the oldest symphony orchestra in Switzerland, dating back to the 1805/06 season, it has achieved national and international standing, blending a sense of tradition with a spirit of discovery.
Thanks to its first-class musicians from around 20 nations, the orchestra has developed over the years into an orchestra of world renown. Deeply rooted in the region yet on a clear international trajectory, the Luzerner Sinfonieorchester is the resident orchestra at the KKL Luzern, and on international tours it represents the city with all its rich musical heritage.
The orchestra’s enlargement was crucial to the strategic development of the Luzerner Sinfonieorchester, enabling the subsequent artistic upswing and leading to recognition both at home and abroad. This expansion was financed purely privately - a unique model in Europe - and was made possible to a large extent by the establishment of the Luzerner Sinfonieorchester Foundation and its patrons.
The Luzerner Sinfonieorchester also performs as an opera orchestra at the Lucerne Theatre. Michael Sanderling has held the post of Chief Conductor since the 2021/22 season. The orchestra promotes contemporary music by commissioning new works from composers such as William Kentridge, Sofia Gubaidulina, Dieter Ammann, Rodion Shchedrin, Thomas Adès and Wolfgang Rihm. Thanks to its Rising Stars series, its lunchtime concerts and the Arthur Waser Prize, the orchestra demonstrates its commitment to championing young talent.
The Luzerner Sinfonieorchester runs its own orchestra academy and a comprehensive music outreach programme, for which it was awarded the "Junge Ohren Preis" in 2018. Since 2021, it has benefitted from an ideal venue - the Orchesterhaus - which combines the functions of a home, workshop, rehearsal hall and recording studio. In addition to rehearsals, some of which are open to the public, the Orchesterhaus hosts chamber music concerts and numerous music outreach events.
The international profile of the Luzerner Sinfonieorchester is also reflected in its output of CD and DVD recordings. The albums "Rachmaninoff in Lucerne" and Beethoven's Ninth Symphony were released by Sony Classical, whilst a long-term partnership was agreed with Warner Classics in 2021. Following the orchestra’s Brahms cycle, which was positively received throughout the press, an album with Grieg and Schumann piano concertos has recently been released, featuring Elisabeth Leonskaja as soloist. In autumn 2025, the recording of Fazıl Say's world premiere "Mozart ve Mevlana" is due for release.
In the 2025/26 season, renowned artists such as Martha Argerich, Hélène Grimaud, Alexandre Kantorow, Lisa Batiashvili, Fatma Said, Anna Vinnitskaya and Gil Shaham will make guest appearances.
In 2022, the Luzerner Sinfonieorchester founded the annual international piano festival "Le Piano Symphonique" under the artistic direction of Numa Bischof Ullmann. In the 2026 festival, which will take place from 12th-18th January, piano enthusiasts can once again look forward to illustrious guest soloists. Martha Argerich, the "master of weightless sound" (NZZ), will remain a key figure of the festival in her role as "Pianiste Associée".
The achievements of the Luzerner Sinfonieorchester and in particular of its artistic director Numa Bischof Ullmann, who has shaped its development for over twenty years, were honoured in Spring 2023 with the “yœurope” European Culture Prize.
In October 2024, the contract with Chief Conductor Michael Sanderling was renewed ahead of time for a further three years, until 2029. The international development of the Luzerner Sinfonieorchester is supported mainly by the Michael and Emmy Lou Pieper Fund.
May 2025