T18. BENER SYMPHONIERORCHESTER/URBANSKI/GABETTA "Pájaro de fuego"

The Bern Symphony Orchestra boasts a tradition of over 140 years as the orchestra of its Swiss federal city.

Composed of around 100 musicians from more than 20 countries, the orchestra combines experience and cultural diversity.

Since 2011 it has been part of the "Konzert Theater Bern" ensemble, and since 2021 it is integrated into "Bühnen Bern", alongside the musical theatre, drama and dance sections, strengthening its central role in the city's and country's artistic life.

Throughout its history, the BSO has had world-renowned conductors who have shaped its musical development.

Among them stand out historical figures such as Bruno Walter, Wilhelm Furtwängler, Karl Böhm and Herbert von Karajan.

More recently, conductors such as Eliahu Inbal, Sir Neville Marriner, Eiji Oue, Jun Märkl and Michael Sanderling have left their mark, bringing different interpretative visions and expanding the orchestra's repertoire.

In 2010, Swiss conductor Mario Venzago assumed the position of principal conductor for ten years, consolidating the ensemble's artistic level and its international projection.

The orchestra has collaborated with top-tier international soloists, including Patricia Kopatchinskaja, Emmanuel Pahud, Frank Peter Zimmermann, Sol Gabetta, Fazıl Say, Mischa Maisky and Jean-Yves Thibaudet, as well as young talents such as Kit Armstrong, Lise de la Salle and Maximilian Hornung.

These collaborations contribute to reinforcing the international reputation of the Berner Symphonieorchester, which receives frequent invitations both in Switzerland and abroad, having recently performed in countries such as Germany, England and China, cementing its reputation as one of the leading European orchestras today.

After its return to the United States to debut with the New York Philharmonic and perform with the Cleveland Orchestra and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra alongside Klaus Mäkelä, Sol Gabetta will return in 2025 with the New York Philharmonic and Jakub Hrůša at the Festival.

The 2025/26 season will be centred on its tribute to Lise Cristiani, a pioneering cellist of the 19th century, with a programme that evokes her concerts and brings together music by Schubert, Mendelssohn, Offenbach, Donizetti and Servais.

This project will be presented in Berlin, Hamburg, Brussels, Munich, Lucerne and Dortmund.

In addition, the season will be marked by three residencies: it will be in residence with the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich and will have residencies at the Konzerthaus Dortmund and the BOZAR in Brussels, where it will perform with the Amsterdam Concertgebouw Orchestra.

It will embark on tours with the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich alongside Paavo Järvi and with the Czech Philharmonic alongside Semyon Bychkov, as well as returning to the Warsaw Philharmonic with Krzysztof Urbański and to the Gewandhausorchester of Leipzig with Mikko Franck.

It will also undertake a tour of Spain with the Bamberg Symphony and Jakub Hrůša, continue its collaboration with the Philharmonia Orchestra and perform with the Munich Philharmonic conducted by Lahav Shani.

A staunch defender of contemporary music, it will continue to perform the cello concerto written for it by Francisco Coll, presented with Radio France and at the BBC Proms.

A regular guest at festivals, Sol Gabetta has performed in Lucerne with the Vienna Philharmonic and Franz Welser-Möst, the Mahler Chamber Orchestra and François-Xavier Roth, and the London Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Marin Alsop.

At her Solsberg Festival she develops her chamber music facet alongside Isabelle Faust, Bertrand Chamayou, Alexander Melnikov and Francesco Piemontesi.

Her performances have taken her to the Lincoln Center, Wigmore Hall, Lucerne, Verbier, Salzburg, Schwetzingen, the Schwarzenberg Schubertiade and the Beethovenfest in Bonn.

Awarded the European Culture Prize in 2022, she received the Herbert von Karajan Prize in 2018 and the OPUS Klassik award as Instrumentalist in 2019.

Nominated for a Grammy, she has been recognised with several ECHO Klassik awards, the Gramophone Young Artist of the Year award and the Würth-Preis.

Her latest recording for Sony Classical brings together late works by Schumann and the cello concertos by Elgar and Martinů.

In 2017 she undertook a European tour with Cecilia Bartoli to present Dolce Duello.

She plays Italian instruments from the 18th century, including a Matteo Goffriller from 1730, provided by Atelier Cels Paris.

Krzysztof Urbański began in September 2025 his second season as music and artistic director of the Warsaw Philharmonic and as chief conductor of the Bern Symphony Orchestra.

Since 2022 he is also principal guest conductor of the Orchestra della Svizzera italiana.

Urbański is a regular guest conductor of some of the world's most prestigious orchestras, including the Bavarian Radio Symphony, the Berliner Philharmoniker, the Staatskapelle Dresden, the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, the London Symphony Orchestra, the Philharmonia Orchestra, the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, the Orchestre de Paris, as well as the Chicago Symphony, New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic and San Francisco Symphony.

Between 2011 and 2021 he was music director of the Indianapolis Symphony and between 2010 and 2017 chief conductor and artistic leader of the Trondheim Symfoniker, an ensemble of which he was named honorary guest conductor in 2017.

He also held the positions of principal guest conductor of the Tokyo Symphony (2012–2016) and the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester (2015–2021).

His discography includes recordings with the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester dedicated to Lutosławski, Dvořák, Stravinski, Shostakóvich and Richard Strauss for the Alpha Classics label.

For Deutsche Grammophon he recorded concertante works by Chopin alongside pianist Jan Lisiecki, an album awarded the ECHO Klassik Prize, and Martinů's Cello Concerto No. 1 with Sol Gabetta and the Berliner Philharmoniker for Sony.

Trained at the Fryderyk Chopin Academy of Music in Warsaw with Antoni Wit, he was assistant to the Warsaw Philharmonic and winner of the First Prize of the Prague Spring International Competition for Conducting.

Since the 24/25 season he combines his positions in Bern and Warsaw, consolidating himself as one of the most outstanding batons of his generation.