There are only a few classical symphony orchestras worldwide that specialise in contemporary music. Basel Sinfonietta is one of the rare exceptions. Both its musical profile and its democratic autonomy make it a unique ensemble in the classical music scene. Since its foundation in 1980, the orchestra has commissioned numerous works and performed around 250 world premieres.
The Basel Sinfonietta performs an annual concert cycle of six concerts in Basel and is a regular guest at international festivals. Its principal conductor is Titus Engel.
In the 2025/26 season, Switzerland’s only orchestra for contemporary music will realise new productions with Swiss composers Joana Aderi, Oscar Bianchi, Leo Dick and Stefan Wirth.
Joana Aderi
Joana Aderi is a Zurich-based composer and performer. The confrontation between the human voice and the instrumental and electronic space is at the core of her music, which reflects her experiences with ancient music and jazz as well as her exploration of electronic music.
On 18 January 2026, Basel Sinfonietta will premier her new work ‘Lizard‘ in Basel in a concert programme whose focus is on traumatic experiences and strategies for overcoming them. Joana Aderi has worked as a composer and music therapist, including in psychiatric institutions and prisons. The nexus between mental illness and music is a pivotal element of her oeuvre.
Oscar Bianchi
Oscar Bianchi is a Swiss-Italian composer based in Berlin. His works centers around large scale instrumental and vocal compositions and opera. He is the artistic director of the IYCA Ticino, a summer gathering for young composers and conductors from all over the world.
On 29 March 2026, Basel Sinfonietta will premier his new work ‘Zamān‘ in Basel. It is inspired by David Grossman’s 2008 novella ‘To the End of the Land’ that chronicles the impact on a family when relatives are deployed to war.
Leo Dick
Leo Dick is a Bern-based composer and stage director. His works are situated between the categories of concert and music theatre. Since 2008, he has been teaching in the MA program ‘Composition and Creative Practice’ at Hochschule der Künste Bern where he’s currently leading the four-year research project ‘Postdigital Musicking. Studies on the multimodal shift in contemporary music’.
On 3 May 2026, Basel Sinfonietta will premier his new work ‘Hofmann in Death Valley’ in Basel, followed by its German premiere on 10 May 2026 at the Philharmonie Köln. Why Hofmann? Because Albert Hofmann discovered the hallucinogenic effects of the substance in 1943 during a legendary self-experiment. Leo Dick incorporates the kaleidoscopic play of colours and shapes described by Hofmann into his composition.
Stefan Wirth
Stefan Wirth is a Zurich-based composer and pianist. The premiere of his opera ‘Girl with a Pearl Earring’ at the Zurich Opera House was a milestone in his career, named ‘Premiere of the Year 2022’ by the magazine Opernwelt. As a pianist, he is a member of the Gershwin Piano Quartet and the Collegium Novum Zurich, and holds a professorship in piano at the Hochschule Luzern.
On 28 September 2025, Basel Sinfonietta will premier his new work ‘Eleusis’ in Basel, on 2 November 2025 the German premiere will follow as part of the NOW! Festival at the Philharmonie Essen. Stefan Wirth speaks of his new piece as a ‘ritual act’ with the objective of inducing a trance-like state.
