SPANNING CLASSICAL AND JAZZ

ORPHEUS CHAMBER ORCHESTRA

Orpheus Chamber Orchestra is a radical experiment in musical democracy. Orpheus began in 1972 when cellist Julian Fifer assembled a group of New York freelancers in their early twenties to play orchestral repertoire as if it were chamber music. In that age of co-ops and communes, the idealistic Orpheans snubbed the “corporate” path of symphony orchestras and learned how to play, plan, and promote concerts as a true collective, with leadership roles rotating from the very first performance.  Having proven the power of direct communication and open-mindedness within the ensemble, the only relationship Orpheus has never had any use for is one with a conductor.  Artistically, too, this spirit is reflected in an exceptionally vibrant and conscientious approach to music-making, which has earned the orchestra numerous accolades, including several Grammy Awards. Its repertoire ranges from the Baroque to the modern era.

BRANFORD MARSALIS

One might describe him as a wanderer between worlds: Branford Marsalis. The New Orleans-born saxophonist has always remained true to his jazz roots, collaborating with greats such as Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie and Herbie Hancock, and of course with his own quartet, which will celebrate its 40th anniversary in 2026. But Marsalis has also always sought to engage with other musical styles: he produced a legendary album with Sting, has performed alongside Tina Turner and the Grateful Dead, and has proven himself as a soloist in works by Villa-Lobos, Glazunov and Schulhoff. His aim is always to “stir emotions in the audience – that is the most important thing.” His love of music was literally in his blood from the cradle: Marsalis’s father Ellis and his three brothers are also jazz musicians.

DUKE ELLINGTON: DUKE’S HARLEM – AN ELLINGTON SUITE (ARR. JEFF BEAL; SWISS PREMIERE)

Edward Kennedy Ellington – known as “Duke” since childhood – is a major figure in 20th-century American music, in both jazz and concert music. From the 1940s onwards, he expanded his art into the symphonic realm, thereby entering the worlds of ballet, opera and musical theatre. This suite, composed by Jeff Beal – an American composer best known for his film and television scores (“House of Cards”, among others) – is receiving its Swiss premiere as part of the 2026/27 concert season. The arrangement pays tribute to Duke Ellington’s rise in 1930s Harlem as a composer and bandleader. Commissioned specifically for the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and saxophonist Branford Marsalis, the work is based on some of the Duke’s best-known pieces: Rockin’ in Rhythm, Sophisticated Lady, In a Sentimental Mood and It Don’t Mean a Thing.

JEFF BEAL: CONCERTO FOR SAXOPHONE AND ORCHESTRA

Among contemporary composers in the USA, Jeff Beal is one of the most versatile. Firmly rooted in jazz as a trumpeter, he also writes works for cinema and the concert hall. He became known to a wider audience through his film scores for the series ‘Monk’ and ‘House of Cards’. Beal’s classical scores are characterised by a sophisticated blend of set and improvisational elements. His solo concertos include works for clarinet, flute, trumpet and jazz bass – and now, most recently, one for the saxophonist Branford Marsalis and the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, which commissioned the composition.

GEORGE GERSHWIN: AN AMERICAN IN PARIS. TONE POEM FOR LARGE ORCHESTRA

Some write postcards, others write music. From his stay in France in 1928, George Gershwin brought back a brand-new orchestral work, which he titled ‘An American in Paris’. And indeed, the piece captures impressions of the bustling metropolis on the Seine, seen through the eyes of a visitor from overseas: from strolling along the boulevards to taxi rides and dancing, right through to the inevitable blues. Gershwin blends all this into a composition that reconciles the Old and New Worlds, European classical music and American modernism – here in an arrangement for chamber orchestra by Javier Diaz.