Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana

Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana
Also known as	OSI
Born	1933 Lugano, Switzerland
Genres	Classical
Occupations	Symphony Orchestra
Website	OSI Web site
Members
Principal Conductor (post currently vacant) Principal Guest Conductor (post currently vacant) Honorary Conductor Alain Lombard

The Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana (OSI; literal translation, Orchestra of Italian Switzerland) is a Swiss orchestra based in Lugano. The orchestra's primary concert venue is the Auditorio RSI.

The precursor ensemble of the OSI, consisting of approximately 30 musicians, was founded in 1933 under the auspices of the Italian Swiss Radio. In 1935, the orchestra acquired the name Orchestra della Radio Svizzera Italiana,^[1] giving its first concert on 2 January 1935. Later, with the advent of television, the orchestra's name evolved to Orchestra della Radiotelevisione della Svizzera Italiana (Radio Television Orchestra of Italian Switzerland). The orchestra took on its current name in 1991.

For the orchestra, Richard Strauss composed his Duet-Concertino in F major, TrV 293 (o.op.AV 147). Other composers who directed their compositions with the OSI included Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari, Frank Martin, Paul Hindemith, Luciano Berio, Darius Milhaud, Hans Werner Henze and Igor Stravinsky. The orchestra has participated in the Settimane Musicali in Ascona (since 1946), the Concerti of Lugano (from 1953 to 1976) and the Primavera Concertistica of Lugano (since 1982).

Leopoldo Casella was the first principal conductor of the orchestra, beginning his affiliation with the ensemble back to the precursor ensemble in 1933. Casella continued to work with the orchestra until 1968. The most recent principal conductor was Alain Lombard, from 1999 to 2005. Lombard now has the title of honorary conductor of the orchestra. Principal guest conductors have included Mikhail Pletnev (2008-2010^[2]).

Principal Conductors

• Leopoldo Casella (1933–1938)
• Otmar Nussio (1938–1968)
• Marc Andreae (permanent conductor, 1969–1990)
• Nicholas Carthy (1993–1996)
• Serge Baudo (1997–2000)
• Alain Lombard (1999–2005)

Members

First Violins Anthony Flint Concertmaster Tamas Major Concertmaster Walter Zagato Assistant Concertmaster Cristina Andreae-Ferrarini Chun He Gao Piotr Nikiforoff Fabio Arnaboldi Katie Vitalie (Ekatarina Bolotova) Denis Monighetti Second Violins Andreas Laake Principal Hans Liviabella Principal Barbara Ciannamea-Monté Rizzi Associate Principal Duilio Galfetti Irina Roukavitsina Cristina Savoldo-Tavazzi Vacant

Violas Monica Benda Principal Ivan Vukcevic Principal Matthias Müller Associate Principal Andriy Burko Aurélie Adolphe Cellos Johann Sebastian Paetsch Principal Taisuke Yamashita Principal Felix Vogelsang Associate Principal Beat Helfenberger Basses Enrico Fagone Principal Ermanno Ferrari Principal Anton Uhle Flutes Alfred Rutz Principal Bruno Grossi Principal

Oboes Marco Schiavon Principal Federico Cicoria Principal Clarinets Paolo Beltramini Principal Corrado Giuffredi Principal Bassoons Vincente Godel Principal Alberto Biano Principal Horns Zora Slokar Principal Georges Alvarez Trumpets Milko Raspanti Principal Sébastien Galley Timpani and Percussion Louis Sauvêtre

References

1. ^ Potts, Joseph E. (November 1955). "European Radio Orchestras. III". The Musical Times 96 (1353): 584–586. JSTOR 937470. 
2. ^ "Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana: Kooperation mit Pletnev beendet". Basler Zeitung. 2010-07-07. http://bazonline.ch/kultur/klassik/Orchestra-della-Svizzera-Italiana-Kooperation-mit-Pletnev-beendet-/story/23589552. Retrieved 2010-07-18. 

External links

• Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana Official website
• Official orchestra history
• RSI page with mention of the first concert of the orchestra on 2 January 1935
• Amici della Musica program, 24 January 2009, with information on the orchestra