Experience the eclectic musical adventures of renowned violinist Daniel Hope as he takes the stage in a series of captivating performances. From the spirited dances of Handel and Piazzolla to the orchestral landscapes of America, and a deep dive into Mozart's genius, these events promise to enthrall audiences with their diverse genres and artistic excellence. Join Hope and his collaborators at prestigious venues for an unforgettable celebration of classical and contemporary masterpieces.

Exploring Musical Mastery: The Dynamic Journeys of Daniel Hope

Immerse yourself in the world of classical and orchestral mastery with Daniel Hope, an acclaimed violinist whose performances traverse genres, time periods, and continents. From the swirling dances of Handel and Mozart to the rich, vibrant sounds of American composers like Gershwin and Ellington, and a journey into the genius of Mozart's contemporaries, Hope's musical events are a testament to the beauty and diversity of the classical and orchestral traditions. Join us as we delve into these remarkable performances that captivate audiences with their breadth and depth.

A Musical Odyssey with Daniel Hope: From Mozart to American Jazz

The highly talented young singers present themselves in this final concert with a colorful program of arias, duets and ensembles. 

Gala Concert of the International Opera Studio

Zurich Opera House

Concert with the Zurich Chamber Orchestra

'ZKO House' in Tiefenbrunnen

Approaching a genius: With his "Journey to Mozart," Daniel Hope embarked on his first musical adventure into the Mozart cosmos in 2018. A world of sound that is always worth exploring and bringing to life anew. "His music has something otherworldly, untouchable, almost unattainable. And yet he was so human," says Hope. In his new version of "Journey to Mozart," the violinist approaches the Salzburg master by once again allowing his contemporaries to have their say: In addition to famous colleagues such as Joseph Haydn and Christoph Willibald Glück, this time the program also includes a violin concerto by arguably the most extraordinary musician of Mozart's time: Joseph Bologne, the son of a French nobleman and a slave from Guadeloupe, made a career during the French Revolution both as a violin virtuoso and composer, as well as an accomplished fencer in the Légion des Américains et du Midi.

EPSG:4326

Daniel Hope / Zurich Chamber Orchestra

Elbphilharmonie Hamburg

What Daniel Hope begins becomes a success: from his beginnings as a highly talented pupil of Yehudi Menuhin to his time as primarius of the Beaux Arts Trio and his current, multi-faceted activities as author, presenter, soloist, festival and ensemble director. The charming violinist and emcee is an all too welcome guest on the Elbphilharmonie stage. In his wonderfully compiled programme »America«, Daniel Hope proves to be a knowledgeable travel guide through the land of unlimited musical possibilities – stops at Gershwin, Bernstein and Ellington as well as flying visits to Aaron Copland and Florence Price determine the route.

»Dance!« – Dances by Handel, Mozart, Schubert, Piazzolla and others.

Daniel Hope

Elbeforum Brunsbüttel

Sala de Música y Congresos Lübeck

Zürich (CH): Ton Koopman - Zürcher Kammerorchester

A venerated 75-year-old music institution meets one of the most distinctive compositional voices in contemporary music when the Zurich Chamber Orchestra visits with selections from Max Richter’s marvelous Recomposed project. Conducting from the violin, Daniel Hope leads the orchestra in Richter’s cleverly reimagined versions of Vivaldi’s timeless The Four Seasons. Richter’s “intriguing and imaginative” (The Guardian) score de- and re-constructs Vivaldi with inspiration drawn from electronic and club music, minimalist concert music, and recording studio techniques, creating a musical universe both familiar and strikingly fresh that has been a huge hit with audiences. Complementing Richter’s Vivaldi odyssey, the accomplished Zurich players also perform two timeless works for string orchestra—Elgar’s exhilarating Introduction and Allegro and Mendelssohn’s lively D minor violin concerto.

Zurich Chamber Orchestra

University of California, Berkeley

Founded in 1945 by Edmond de Stoutz, the Zurich Chamber Orchestra cultivates a broad repertoire, ranging from baroque to classical and from romantic to contemporary music. Hope was appointed Music Director of the Zurich Chamber Orchestra, effective with the 2016-17 season, succeeding Sir Roger Norrington.

Hope has enjoyed a thriving international solo career for more than 30 years. Celebrated for his musical versatility and dedication to humanitarian causes, he has been recognized with a string of honors including the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany and the 2015 European Culture Prize for Music. An exclusive Deutsche Grammophon artist since 2007, he has an award-winning discography and is also a popular radio and television host who recently anchored the TV and streaming series Hope@Home. In 2019 he completed his 16th and final season as Associate Artistic Director of Georgia’s Savannah Music Festival as well as becoming Artistic Director of Dresden’s Frauenkirche Cathedral. Since 2020, following in the distinguished footsteps of Kurt Masur and Joseph Joachim, Hope started his tenure as President of the Beethoven-Haus Bonn.

Zurich Chamber Orchestra With Daniel Hope

Segerstrom Center for the Arts

Prelude Dinners are back in 2023! Join us at the Michigan League for an opportunity to park early, gather with friends, enjoy a meal, and learn more about the evening’s performance. Your $75 ticket includes a wine reception, a three-course buffet, and a lively and interesting talk from Mark Clague, Associate Dean for Collaborations and Partnerships at the U-M School of Music, Theatre & Dance – all just a short walk from Hill Auditorium.

Prelude Dinner: Daniel Hope with the Zurich Chamber Orchestra

Vandenberg Room

Einsiedeln Abbey and its church are among the most important Baroque buildings north of the Alps. Inside, the frescoes and stucco work by the brothers Cosmas Damian and Egid Quirin Asam lend the building a breathtaking splendor that attracts thousands of visitors every year.

Three different spaces within the monastery will be brought to life through music during this promenade concert. The Zurich Chamber Orchestra (ZKO), performing in various formations from a quintet to a full chamber orchestra, will present a succession of half-hour programs in each space.

Wandelkonzert im Kloster Einsiedeln

Einsiedeln Abbey

Little Bear and Little Tiger lived happily together in their house by the river. But one day, Little Tiger didn't come home. He had met Little Pig and moved into his pigsty. He almost forgot Little Bear. But only almost…

Purzelkonzert — Guten Tag, kleines Schweinchen

ZKO House

A bitterly cold winter storm rages across the land, waking the little hedgehog from his hibernation. It's so incredibly cold, and the little hedgehog is shivering so much that he can't fall back asleep. Then a package falls to his paws. It says "For the little hedgehog," and inside is a red, cuddly soft woolly hat. The astonished little hedgehog tries to put the hat on, but it simply won't slide over his spines. What to do, little hedgehog?

Krabbelkonzert — Der kleine Igel und die rote Mütze

Nature, itself rich in sound, has always found its way into music – as onomatopoeic imitations of thunder, the lapping of water, or birdsong, but also as an expression of inner "feeling" in the face of its sublime beauty, power, and menace. In the grand opening concert, the Zurich Chamber Orchestra and Music Director Daniel Hope dedicate themselves to the work that stands out among musical depictions of nature like the highest mountain peak: Ludwig van Beethoven's Symphony No. 6, "Pastoral ." Beethoven masterfully gives expression to this inner experience of nature without merely "painting" it in sound, even when he has the nightingale, quail, and cuckoo imitated.

Saisoneröffnung mit Daniel Hope

Tonhalle Zurich

Our pacifier concerts are a treat for sensitive baby ears, where parents can also enjoy selected chamber music sounds in a relaxed atmosphere on their own yoga mat.

Nuggikonzert — Elegien der Stille

Where John Zorn draws on a prayer, Ludwig van Beethoven composes one of the most intimate movements in chamber music, and Dmitri Shostakovich presents his final work of this genre with his 15th String Quartet, no words are needed. Intensely melancholic, imbued with profound emotion, and reminiscent of silent farewell prayers, the three works in this program resonate. Between prayer, memory, and farewell, a soundscape of silence unfolds—tentatively exploring between solace and emptiness, between speechlessness and expression. Where words fall silent, another language begins: fragile, intimate, and imbued with that profound humanity which gives voice to the unspeakable, in a way that ultimately only music can.

Kammermusik@ZKO — Elegien der Stille

The donkey, the dog, the cat, and the rooster have grown old and are to be driven off the farm. So the four animals decide to make a run for it and set off towards Bremen. They want to become town musicians. But on the way to Bremen, an unexpected test awaits the four intrepid creatures. They encounter a dangerous band of robbers…

Kinderkonzert — Die Bremer Stadtmusikanten

Schauspielhaus Zürich

The Moser Building, opened in 1910, forms the historical core of the Kunsthaus Zürich. Today it houses important works of art from eight centuries – from medieval icons to modern classics and internationally renowned paintings and sculptures, e.g., by Monet, van Gogh, Munch, Picasso, and Warhol – with the specific selection varying depending on the current exhibition.

Wandelkonzert

Kunsthaus Zürich Moser Bau

In the series "Feather and Bow" , the musicians of the Zurich Chamber Orchestra, together with actor Thomas Douglas and dramaturge Anina La Roche, create small musical cosmoses around fascinating and inspiring personalities from music or literary history.

Feder und Bogen 1: Erich Kästner

British Music for Strings
With British conductor Jonathan Bloxham on the podium, this program takes us to the British Isles, where we encounter three defining forces in British music: the Baroque composer Henry Purcell, celebrated as the "British Orpheus"; the great innovator Benjamin Britten; and Anna Clyne, arguably the most important voice in contemporary British music. Benjamin Britten was considered a kind of spiritual heir to Purcell. With his Serenade , Op. 31, he turned—resonating with the Baroque influence of his predecessor like a distant echo—for the first time to setting the English language to music, creating a highly emotional song cycle for tenor, horn, and string orchestra based on six poems by British authors from different eras. We are honored to welcome tenor Ian Bostridge, one of the most profound experts on Britten's Serenade, while the young British horn soloist Ben Goldscheider assumes the role of the ambivalent interlocutor and cautionary echo.

Bostridge, Bloxham & Goldscheider

Daniel Hope presents Bach and his contemporaries
Music Director Daniel Hope and the Zurich Chamber Orchestra present a veritable concerto cycle in this festive concert marking the beginning of Advent. It was Arcangelo Corelli who gave a fixed form to the interplay between a small group of soloists and the full orchestra, thus inscribing himself in music history as one of the founding fathers of the Baroque instrumental concerto with these concerti grossi . The concluding Pastorale of his most famous concerto grosso bears the subtitle "fatto per la notte di Natale" – written for Christmas Eve – and exudes a peaceful tranquility with its lilting rhythm. A moment of pastoral reflection can also be found in the D minor Concerto for Two Violins and Cello from Antonio Vivaldi's groundbreaking collection L'Estro Armonico , in the graceful Siciliano , nestled between the virtuosic dialogue in the outer movements.

Daniel Hope – Barocker Advent

Lou the mouse is visiting her relatives in the bramble thicket. They are preparing for the coming winter and have lots to do. And then something special happens: it snows! So much so that they can even build an ice rink for their snowball!

Purzelkonzert — Die Abenteuer der Maus Lou: Weihnachten im Brombeerhag

Heavenly sounds and hymns of praise
The Christmas concerts at the Fraumünster have been a cherished tradition in the Zurich Chamber Orchestra's concert program for many years. Together with the Zurich Concert Choir, under the direction of André Fischer, festive sounds for the Advent season fill the air, culminating in a joint singing of traditional Christmas carols at the end of the concert.

Weihnachtskonzerte

Fraumünster Zurich

With Asya Fateyeva, we celebrate the New Year with an artist who, thanks to innovative programs, artistic fearlessness, and a distinctive timbre, constantly opens up new realms for her instrument. In Alexander Glazunov's  Saxophone Concerto, she will unleash the warm sonority and technical mastery that make her playing so unique. Glazunov—a compatriot and contemporary of Sergei Prokofiev—treated the then-young saxophone, rooted in jazz and military music, not much differently than more common solo instruments in a concerto, in the best late-Romantic tradition: sonorous, lyrical, and virtuosic. The concert evening opens with sparkling colors thanks to the Swiss harpist Tjasha Gafner, who interprets a true gem of the repertoire for her instrument: Germaine Tailleferre's Concertino . 

Silvesterkonzert mit Asya Fateyeva & Tjasha Gafner

KKL Luzern

With Asya Fateyeva, we celebrate the New Year with an artist who, thanks to innovative programs, artistic fearlessness, and a distinctive timbre, constantly opens up new realms for her instrument. In Alexander Glazunov's  Saxophone Concerto, she will unleash the warm sonority and technical mastery that make her playing so unique. Glazunov—a compatriot and contemporary of Sergei Prokofiev—treated the then-young saxophone, rooted in jazz and military music, not much differently than more common solo instruments in a concerto, in the best late-Romantic tradition: sonorous, lyrical, and virtuosic. The concert evening opens with sparkling colors thanks to the Swiss harpist Tjasha Gafner, who interprets a true gem of the repertoire for her instrument: Germaine Tailleferre's Concertino .

Neujahrskonzert mit Asya Fateyeva & Tjasha Gafner

Two piano quintets, an unusual instrumentation: Both Johann Nepomuk Hummel's Quintet in E-flat minor, Op. 87 , and Ralph Vaughan Williams' Quintet in C minor combine the piano with violin, viola, cello, and double bass. The double bass lends both works a special sonic depth and warmth. While Hummel combines classical elegance with virtuosic brilliance, Vaughan Williams, roughly a hundred years later, unfolds a late-Romantic, dense, and passionate sound world.

Kammermusik@ZKO — Nel profondo

Nuggikonzert — Nel profondo

Even though Maria Lassnig (1919–2014) and Edvard Munch (1863–1944) were separated by more than half a century, there are striking parallels between their works and biographies. The exhibition's subtitle, "Painting Flow = Life Flow," is taken from one of Maria Lassnig's paintings. It vividly illustrates the inseparable connection between art and life—
a connection that also applies to music to the highest degree. Like painting, music succeeds in giving expression to the most diverse levels of perception, encompassing both emotional and physical sensations.

Maria Lassnig & Edvard Munch

Kunsthaus Zürich

The gifted pianist and improviser Gabriela Montero returns to the Zurich Chamber Orchestra with Dmitri Shostakovich's Piano Concerto No. 1, following her captivating performance there about two years ago  . This work—composed in 1933 during a period of artistic freedom before the grueling censorship of later years—was conceived by Shostakovich himself as a "mocking challenge" to the traditional solo concerto. A glance at the instrumentation makes this clear. Shostakovich pairs the solo piano with a solo trumpet—interpreted in this program by Simon Höfele. And then there is the music itself: a thoroughly entertaining, at times rapid-fire, intricate puzzle full of quotations, humorous allusions, and surprising twists. This original stroke of genius is preceded by the fleeting and playful miniatures Visions fugitives by Sergei Prokofiev, originally written for piano, as well as two warmly illuminated nature studies by Leoš Janáček and the British late Romantic composer Ruth Gipps.

Gabriela Montero & Simon Höfele

Feder und Bogen 2: Olga Tokarczuk

Gerda and Kay are neighbors. One day, a shard of glass pierces Kay's heart, turning it into a solid block of ice. The Snow Queen kidnaps him and takes him to her ice palace. Gerda sets off to find him – a long journey filled with strange adventures. Only thanks to Gerda's courage is he freed from the evil spell, and both are able to return home happily.

ABC-Konzert — Die Schneekönigin

Violinist Alena Baeva is said to have a “magnetic presence” on stage and a passionate musical curiosity – just some of the qualities with which she has earned a reputation as a fascinating and versatile soloist on the world's stages in recent years.

Alena Baeva

Findus loves to jump – especially on the bed. But at four o'clock in the morning, Pettersson is simply fed up with it. So Findus decides to move into the outhouse in the garden. But at night, it's much spookier there than he thought. Perhaps it's cozier at Pettersson's after all…

Krabbelkonzert — Findus zieht um

A mysterious package has arrived on the tiny island of Lummerland. Inside, believe it or not, is a little boy – Jim Button! Jim and Luke the Engine Driver instantly become best friends. And that's a good thing, because great adventures soon await them…

Purzelkonzert — Jim Knopf und Lukas der Lokomotivführer

Come closer – don't be shy, we can get even closer! At "Come on in!" you'll sit right in the middle of the orchestra and experience the unique atmosphere of an orchestral rehearsal up close. Get up close to our musicians, feel the orchestral sound directly, and observe the intensive collaboration between the orchestra and Music Director Daniel Hope.

Hereinspaziert!

The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires
After Antonio Vivaldi's masterpiece, they undoubtedly rank among the most famous "Four Seasons": the cuatro estaciones porteñas , written in the mid-1960s by the great tango innovator Astor Piazzolla. In these four sensual mood pieces, inspired by Buenos Aires, the birthplace of tango, Piazzolla masterfully captures melancholy and nostalgia as well as the vibrant street life, the austere elegance, and that feverish, nocturnal atmosphere of the port city. For his arrangement of the tango suite for violin and string orchestra, Leonid Desyatnikov deliberately allowed Vivaldi's influence to shine through, creating a sophisticated echo of the Baroque classic.

Daniel Hope spielt Piazzolla

Zürcher Kammerorchester

Initiated by the Zurich Opera House, «Zurich Baroque» presents a diverse program this season, ranging from baroque opera to chamber music.

With a musical homage to Charles Avison, Johann Sebastian Bach, Domenico Gallo, and George Frideric Handel, the Zurich Chamber Orchestra participates in "Zurich Baroque." Alongside them shines Rachel Podger, whom The Times calls "the undisputed British great of the Baroque violin." She was the first woman to be awarded the Royal Academy of Music's prestigious Bach Prize in October 2015. Infected with "Baroque fever" since her early youth, she founded the Brecon Baroque Festival and the multi-award-winning ensemble Brecon Baroque. For her solo album Tutta Sola, Rachel Podger received the BBC Music Magazine Recording of the Year Award and the Instrumental Award in 2023.

Zürich Barock mit Rachel Podger

For the popular children's songwriter Andrew Bond, concerts for children are always also concerts with the children and their accompanying adults. Together with the Zurich Chamber Orchestra, he presents a selection of his most beautiful songs at the Pfauen Theatre, inviting everyone to join in, sing along, clap along, laugh, and have lots of fun.

Kinderkonzert — Em Gloon siin Lohn

This program spans from the elegantly refined splendor of the early Classical period to the radical musical language of Beethoven's late works. As if embarking on a musical journey through time, we can trace how personal expression and individual voices emerge with increasing clarity from the early Haydn to the late Beethoven. The overture to the opera L'amant anonyme by the dazzling Mozart contemporary Joseph Bologne opens the program and sets the stage for cellist Julia Hagen's performance of Joseph Haydn's  Concerto in C major – a work that, with its brilliant tone and alternations of solos and orchestral ritornellos, initially exudes a strong late Baroque spirit, ultimately culminating in virtuosic boldness in the finale.

Julia Hagen

In the Chamber Music@ZKO series, our musicians present chamber music programs that reflect their personal preferences. Look forward to special treasures and rarely performed works, and enjoy an inspiring Sunday morning at the ZKO House.

Kammermusik@ZKO — London Calling

Nuggikonzert — London Calling

In the series "Feather and Bow" , the musicians of the Zurich Chamber Orchestra, together with actor Thomas Douglas and dramaturge Anina La Roche, create small musical cosmoses around fascinating and inspiring personalities from music or literary history.

Heinrich Heine was a German poet and writer. Although he dedicated himself to language, his name is inextricably linked to the world of music. This is partly because hardly any other writer has been set to music as often. He lent his voice to well over 7,000 compositions – a record-breaking number.

Feder und Bogen 3: Heinrich Heine

Clara Schumann, a celebrated virtuoso and artistic authority, shaped the musical world of the 20th century like few other women of her time. With her Piano Concerto in A minor , which she composed at the tender age of 14 for her own performances, she created a work of high technical demands and pronounced Romantic verve. Pianist Claire Huangci makes her debut with the Zurich Chamber Orchestra (ZKO) in this interpretation of this impressive artistic self-assertion. She will also be heard in the Variations on " La ci darem la mano ," an early virtuoso piece by Frédéric Chopin based on the famous duet from Don Giovanni .

Claire Huangci & Thomas Dausgaard

The sixth ZKO Festival celebrates diversity, joie de vivre, and happiness. We invite you to join us for our featured artist, the Latvian accordionist Ksenija Sidorova, who captivates audiences with her temperament, vibrancy, humor, and impressive virtuosity. At the ZKO Festival, she will showcase her remarkable versatility with a selection of works ranging from Johann Sebastian Bach to Astor Piazzolla, as well as enchanting melodies from film music classics such as Yann Tiersen's * Le fabuleux déstin d'Amélie* and Nino Rota's score for Federico Fellini's masterpiece * La Strada *.

ZKO Festival — Bachrauschen mit Ksenija Sidorova

Guitar & Accordion — A musical joint venture
The sixth ZKO Festival celebrates diversity, joie de vivre, and happiness. We invite you to join us for our featured artist, the Latvian accordionist Ksenija Sidorova, who captivates audiences with her temperament, vibrancy, humor, and impressive virtuosity. At the ZKO Festival, she will showcase her remarkable versatility with a selection of works ranging from Johann Sebastian Bach to Astor Piazzolla, as well as enchanting melodies from film music classics such as Yann Tiersen's * Le fabuleux déstin d'Amélie* and Nino Rota's score for Federico Fellini's masterpiece * La Strada *.

ZKO Festival — Von Venedig nach Buenos Aires mit Ksenija Sidorova

Your entry into the world of classical music
With "Neuland" (New Territory) , we invite curious minds to discover the world of classical music and the unique characteristics of a chamber orchestra. This format is aimed at anyone who has had little or no prior experience with classical music or the Zurich Chamber Orchestra. Get to know our chamber orchestra in a relaxed atmosphere, learn what it means to be a professional orchestral musician, and ask anything you've ever wanted to know about orchestral operations and all the things that go with them: Who decides which program is performed? What's the difference between a symphony orchestra and a chamber orchestra, and why do we always applaud only at the end?

Neuland

ZKO Festival — Cinema Paradiso mit Ksenija Sidorova

ZKO Festival — Meisterwerke

ZKO Festival — Time to Tango mit Ksenija Sidorova

How do you get children excited about the fascinating world of classical music? At our family concerts, it's primarily the parents or grandparents who introduce their children. But what access do children get whose families have never experienced a concert? This is where schools can play a role. With the Young ZKO program, we collaborate with the Office for School Culture and enable two classes to explore the world of classical music over a two-year period, focusing on the workings of an orchestra. This includes a behind-the-scenes look at orchestral operations, with opportunities for direct interaction between children and musicians.

Abschlusskonzert Junges ZKO

Lou the mouse visits Paul Klee in his underwater villa. There she discovers fish and creatures she's never seen before. She's completely enchanted by the magical goldfish. Is he really as evil as everyone says? Lou the mouse finds out with courage, music, and the help of the children.

ABC-Konzert — Die Abenteuer der Maus Lou: Unterwasserwelten mit Paul Klee

Mozart and Mendelssohn – both prematurely born and prematurely deceased, and both possessed the extraordinary gift of making the highest compositional craftsmanship appear effortless and natural. It is no coincidence that Felix Mendelssohn, who already displayed impressive artistic maturity in his youthful string symphonies, was celebrated as the "Mozart of the Century." Music Director Daniel Hope dedicates the grand season finale to these two brilliant figures, collaborating with pianist Kristian Bezuidenhout – a renowned expert on both Mozart and Mendelssohn, in whose Violin and Piano Concerto he will be heard alongside Hope. 

Saisonabschluss mit Kristian Bezuidenhout & Daniel Hope

With members of the International Opera Studio

Zürcher Kammerorchester

Sep 19, 2026

Wandelkonzert im Kloster Einsiedeln

Sep 27, 2026

Purzelkonzert — Guten Tag, kleines Schweinchen

Oct 18, 2026

Krabbelkonzert — Der kleine Igel und die rote Mütze

Oct 27, 2026

Saisoneröffnung mit Daniel Hope

Nov 1, 2026

Nuggikonzert — Elegien der Stille

Jul 6, 2026

Gala Concert of the International Opera Studio

Mar 21, 2026

Concert with the Zurich Chamber Orchestra

Articles & News

Zürcher Kammerorchester