Ensembles

  • Chamber Music

    Chamber music tuition is critically important in terms of the instrumental specializations associated with the Bachelor of Arts in Music (Classical), Master of Arts in Music Performance and Master of Arts in Specialized Music Performance degree programmes.
    The tuition is intended to teach the techniques involved in ensemble play, encourage in-depth study of complex scores and give people a chance to rehearse for concert appearances. The choice of works is tailored to the students' standard of playing and experience and is therefore discussed and determined by students and lecturers in advance.

    Chamber Music

  • Orchestral Formations

    Orchester der ZHdK

    Orchestral practice plays a central role at ZHdK. Two established formations – the Symphony Orchestra and Arc-en-Ciel (an ensemble for contemporary music) – annually host up to twelve concerts and represent the music department to a broad audience.
    Close cooperation with the orchestras of the Tonhalle Zurich, the Philharmonia Zurich (Zurich Opera), the Musikkollegium Winterthur and the Zurich Chamber Orchestra, provide ZHdK students with first-hand experience of working in a professional orchestra. Co-productions with other Swiss music academies serve to establish contacts and cultivate exchange with other training institutions.
    Outstanding conductors to have worked with ZHdK students over the years include Stefan Asbury, Roberto Benzi, Andreas Delfs, Werner Ehrhardt, Vladimir Fedoseyev, Marc Kissóczy, Bernhard Klee, Emmanuel Krivine, Jesús López Cobos, Zsolt Nagy, Larry Rachleff, Nello Santi, Johannes Schlaefli, Yuri Simonov, Pierre-André Valade, Heinz Wallberg, Ralf Weikert, Christian Zacharias and David Zinman.
    Compact Discs with works by Richard Strauss (Eine Alpensinfonie), Gustav Mahler (Symphony no. 9), Igor Stravinsky (Le Sacre du Printemps), Ferruccio Busoni (piano concerto), Béla Bartók (Bluebeard’s Castle), Olivier Messiaen (Turangalila Symphony) and Hans Werner Henze (Tristan) bear witness to the high level of the orchestra.
    Concerts are increasingly streamed live on the internet and herewith made accessible to a global audience.

    Arc-en-Ciel

    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 Péter Eötvös, Beat Furrer, Jonathan Harvey, Manuel Hidalgo, Helmut Lachenmann, Isabel Mundry, Henri Pousseur, Wolfgang Rihm, Jörg Widmann and Isang Yun as well as the group of “Spéctralistes”. But works by Swiss composers, especially world premieres from the composition classes, are also regularly on the Arc-en-Ciel’s programmes.

    Kammerensemble der ZHdK

    The “Kammerensemble der ZHdK” performs the repertoire of chamber music with large ensembles up to the chamber orchestra. This ranges from works of the Romantic period to conducted chamber music of the 20th century, such as the Chamber Symphony op. 9 by Arnold Schönberg and the Divertimento op. 30 by Adolf Busch. There is close collaboration with the conducting and recording classes.
    Special attention is given to rarely performed and unpublished works. In 2018, for example, the Kammerensemble performed and recorded for the first time the previously unprinted Octet by Brahms’ pupil Heinrich XXIV Fürst Reuß zu Köstritz (1855–1910).
    The Kammerensemble also offers the opportunity for solo performances by selected musicians from the university. In April 2021, for example, the unpublished 1935 orchestral version of Franz Schubert’s Arpeggione Sonata by the Swiss cellist Antonio Tusa (1900–1982) was performed via livestream. In December 2021, the Piano Concerto No. 6 “La Suisse” by the Swiss composer Caroline Boissier-Butini (1786–1836) was also performed in the Kleine Tonhalle.

  • Vocal Ensembles

    Kantorei ZHdK

    The Kantorei ZHdK choir is made up of students taking the Church Music and Master’s programme School Music II courses. In the course of their rehearsals and performances, the future choral directors and school music specialists become acquainted with a wide range of choral repertoire, and also gain essential practical skills, particularly in warming-up vocal exercises and rehearsal techniques, and programme design. The choir rehearses and trains its members’­ voices for high-calibre programmes across a wide range of styles (from fifteenth-century works to premieres of new works, mainly classical, but also choral light music). The ensemble exclusively performs sacred music. The membership varies between 20 and 30 voices, and rehearsals are held on Tuesdays, from 18:30–20:30 h.

    These rehearsals prepare the choir for participation in six to eight Tuesday vespers services in the Zurich Church of St. Johannes (Johanneskirche). Once a year, the choir also undertakes an oratorio project, culminating in the performance of a major work in collaboration with other ZHdK choirs or ensembles (2011: Mendelssohn, “Elias”; 2013: Britten, “War Requiem”; 2015: Prokofieff, “Iwan der Schreckliche”; 2017: “Janáček”, Messe; 2019: Burkhard, “Das Gesicht Jesajas”).  

    The choir is directed by Ernst Buscagne.  

    → Video impressions
     

    Kammerchor ZHdK

    The newly founded “Kammerchor ZHdK” is, along with the orchestra, a top ensemble of the Zurich University of the Arts and consists of selected students with majors in voice, choral conducting, and other interested students who are admitted after an audition. It offers insight into choral work with professional standards. The repertoire is selected on an exemplary, concert-specific basis according to stylistic and thematic aspects and includes well-known works as well as rarely heard choral literature. Concert performances at home and abroad and participation in competitions and concert tours.

    The main focus of the ensemble's work is

    The ensemble performs at least once each semester as part of the university concerts and is also available for master classes in choral conducting.
    The artistic direction is in the hands of Prof. Markus Utz.

    • Development of demanding a cappella literature
    • Stylistically appropriate performance of choral music from different eras
    • Work on a balanced ensemble sound
    • Broad repertoire
    • Cooperation with renowned institutions (Tonhalle Zurich, Musikkollegium Winterthur and others)
    • CD recordings, concert tours
    • Participation in competitions
       

    VocalEnsemble ZHdK

    The VocalEnsemble ZHdK stands alongside the orchestra as an elite ZHdK musical ensemble. It consists of 24 young vocal soloists studying in the Voice department. The ensemble specializes in:      

    • Demanding a cappella works    
    • Authentic performances of choral music from a different epochs    
    • Producing a balanced ensemble sound    
    • A wide repertoire    
    • Collaboration with high-profile institutions (Tonhalle Zürich, Musikkollegium Winterthur, etc.)    
    • CD recordings, concert tours 

    The ensemble gives at least one performance every semester in the university concert series. Every other year, a master class session is held under an internationally recognized choral director. The VocalEnsemble also collaborates with other formations and institutions. Every two years, the VocalEnsemble ZHdK also joins with the ZHdK choirs and orchestra to perform a major work from the oratorio repertoire (2011: Mendelssohn, “Elias”; 2013: Britten, “War Requiem”; 2015: Prokofieff, “Iwan der Schreckliche”). Concert appearances in Switzerland and abroad. 

    The music director is Prof Markus Utz  

    →  Watch the video
     

    Bachelor's Semester Choir

    All students taking classical music courses in the Bachelor’s degree programme with main subjects other than Voice sing in the Bachelor’s Semester Choir. Weekly rehearsals are conducted by Ernst Buscagne and Prof Markus Utz, assisted by students in the Choral Conducting specialization. Each semester ends with a concert. The choir’s repertoire ranges from masters from the early baroque and classical periods through to premieres of new works. Depending on the works on the programme, the Bacehlor’s Semester Choir performs with the ZHdK instrumental or voice students. Every other year, all the university’s vocal ensembles come together to perform an oratorio, together with soloists from the Musikhochschule and the ZHdK orchestra.
     

    The Bachelor’s Project Choir

    The Bachelor’s Project Choir is an ensemble for all classical music students in their third semester who are not taking Voice as their major subject. In the academic years between oratorio performances, they spend a project week work on a demanding a cappella programme, which is then performed. The Bachelor’s Project Choir is generally directed by Prof Markus Utz. In those academic years where the students in the Project Choir have worked only on a cappella or chamber music church works during their compulsory participation in the Semester Choir, during their project week they rehearse an oratorio in combination with all the ZHdK vocal ensembles, which is then performed with soloists and the ZHdK orchestra.
     

    Motet Choir ZHdK

    The Motet Choir ZHdK comprises students in the DAS in Organ and DAS in Choral Conducting programmes, and Bachelor’s and Master’s students who participate in the Motet Choir as a semester course. The group performs a wide range of mainly sacred music. Occasionally, part of the rehearsal is led by a student from the Church Music specialization. The choir gives a performance once every semester (generally at vespers services in the Zurich Church of St. Johannes (Johanneskirche).  

    The musical director is Stephan Klarer.