BASEL SINFONIETTA
MUSIC IN TUNE WITH THE TIMES

The Basel Sinfonietta is a full symphonic orchestra specializing in contemporary music – making it a unique orchestra in the classical music scene. The Principal Conductor of the Basel Sinfonietta is Titus Engel.

Driven by its commitment to performing music in tune with the times the Basel Sinfonietta has been transcending classical concert conventions since its founding in 1980 and embraces an exploratory approach to other genres and cultures in its programming.

The Basel Sinfonietta works with the leading composers of the present day. The orchestra has commissioned numerous works and has presented more than 220 world premieres and national premieres since its foundation.

In addition to its own series of six subscription concerts, with which the Basel Sinfonietta presents contemporary music for large orchestra in the border triangle between Switzerland, France and Germany at sometimes unusual venues, the orchestra is a regular guest at local festivals and is one of the cooperation partners of the Theater Basel, the Kaserne Basel, the Kunstmuseum Basel or Art Basel.

Since its foundation, the Basel Sinfonietta has set musical accents beyond the borders of Switzerland in Europe and as far afield as Asia, with numerous guest appearances and invitations to renowned festivals such as the Ruhrtriennale, “Acht Brücken” in Cologne, Salzburg Festival, the International Summer Courses for New Music in Darmstadt, the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival in England, the Festival for Contemporary Music “rainy days” in Luxembourg, the Kunstfest Weimar, the Festival d'Automne à Paris, Archipel Festival in Geneva, the Festival de Música Contemporánea de Alicante, the Dialoge Festival of the Mozarteum Foundation Salzburg or the Festival Musica in Strasbourg.

Recordings of Basel Sinfonietta concerts are regularly broadcast by Swiss Radio SRF 2 Kultur as well as by international radio stations.

Highlights of the Basel Sinfonietta's 2022/23 season include guest appearances at Ruhrtriennale in the Jahrhunderthalle Bochum and at “Klang – Copenhagen Avantgarde Music Festival”. In addition, the Basel Sinfonietta is cooperating this season with the Musica Festival Strasbourg as well as the Paul Sacher Stiftung, the Culturescapes Festival, the Kaserne Basel and the Offbeat Jazzfestival Basel. A special highlight will be the world premiere of a new work by Moritz Eggert to Alfred Hitchcock's silent film classic "Blackmail" and many other first and world premieres with works by Sofia Gubaidulina, Michael Wertmüller, Simon Steen-Andersen, Hannah Kendall, Lukas Ligeti, Hildur Guðnadóttir, Nik Bärtsch, Isabel Mundry, Gemma Ragués Pujol, Ylva Lund Bergner, Maja Solveig Kjelstrup Ratkje and Cathy Milliken.

The Basel Sinfonietta is a self-governing orchestra. As the orchestra is organized as an association, all musicians can participate in the democratic decision-making process on the orientation and programming of the ensemble.

The Basel Sinfonietta is financially supported by the canton of Basel-Stadt, among others.