The Ensemble Arc-en-Ciel was founded in 2001 with the aim of offering ZHdK students a platform to study and perform contemporary music at a high level and thus gain experience in conducting ensembles.
The programmes take into account current issues or works by contemporary composers, most of whom are also staying at the ZHdK as composer in residence. For example, there were focal points with works by Pรฉter Eรถtvรถs, Beat Furrer, Jonathan Harvey, Manuel Hidalgo, Helmut Lachenmann, Isabel Mundry, Henri Pousseur, Wolfgang Rihm, Jรถrg Widmann and Isang Yun as well as the group of "Spรฉctralistes". But works by Swiss composers, especially world premieres from the composition classes, are also regularly on the Arc-en-Ciel's programmes.
The Ensemble Arc-en-Ciel has worked with the conductors Stefan Asbury, William Blank, Olivier Cuendet, Titus Engel, Pรฉter Eรถtvรถs, Jรผrg Henneberger, Peter Hirsch, Marc Kissรณczy, Roland Kluttig, Pierre-Alain Monot, Zsolt Nagy, Emilio Pomarico, Peter Rundel, Johannes Schlaefli, Johannes Schรถllhorn, Jochen Wehner, Jรผrg Wyttenbach and the conductor Vรฉronique Lacroix. It is also involved in conducting training projects.
Arc-en-Ciel regularly performs at the Tage fรผr Neue Musik Zรผrich and cooperates with the Collegium Novum Zรผrich. Several programmes have been performed outside of Zurich, such as at Expo.02 in Murten, 2005 in Freiburg im Breisgau, 2006 at the Gare du Nord in Basel and 2008 in Fribourg. In March 2010, the ensemble performed for the first time at the Festival Archipel in Geneva.