Just finished the year of the 90th birthday, theOrchestra of Italian Switzerland The 2026/27 season kicks off with a focus on continuity and renewal. The underlying theme chosen for the main seasons is— Echoes of heroes and demons — offers a journey through myths, legendary figures, and internal conflicts, reinterpreted from the great symphonic repertoire.
The artistic project, presented by Artistic Director Barbara Widmer, unfolds as a musical narrative spanning eras and languages: from the rarefied atmospheres of Debussy to the visions of Stravinsky and Ravel, from the tensions of Verdi to the symphonic architectures of Mahler, Brahms, Dvořák, and Shostakovich. The idea is not merely thematic, but structural: to build a dialogue between symbolic narration and chamber music introspection, connecting the orchestral epic with the more intimate dimension of the solo concert.
A season that is structured on three axes
The 2026/27 programming is developed around three main seasons: OSI at LAC, OSI at the Docks e OSI at Pentecost.
Season OSI at LAC The Orchestra offers ten concerts between October 2026 and April 2027, featuring a program featuring internationally renowned conductors and soloists. Guests include, among others, Krzysztof Urbański, Markus Poschner, Robert Treviño, Giovanni Antonini, Antonello Manacorda, Isabelle Faust, Maria Dueñas, Pablo Ferrández, and the young pianist Alexander Malofeev. The opening performance features Jérémie Rhorer and Maximilian Hornung, while the program continues with works by Fauré, Beethoven, Brahms, Schubert, Mahler, and Stravinsky, all the way to contemporary repertoire.
Alongside the traditional symphonic repertoire, the cultural mediation format also returns be connected, with Lunch with OSI and concerts dedicated to schools and families, confirming an approach that integrates artistic dimension and participation.
The new room at the Docks
One of the main novelties of the season is the start of programming in the Docks Hall Lugano in Pambio-Noranco, which will host the season OSI at the Docks while the Stelio Molo RSI Auditorium remains temporarily closed for construction.
Here, the program presents a more flexible and immersive format. The Play&Conduct format—combining conducting and solo performance—features several events, including one with Avi Avital on mandolin. The program explores sensory experiences and new ways of listening, involving artists such as Johannes Moser, Maxim Rysanov, Manu Delago, and conductor Robert Treviño in a project dedicated to the relationship between music, perception, and memory.
Pentecost as a fixed appointment
The third season, OSI at Pentecost, continues the path begun in 2025 with the aim of consolidating a key spring musical weekend. In 2027, Sol Gabetta will return to the stage, accompanied by Giovanni Antonini and Kristian Bezuidenhout, in a program that includes Haydn, Mozart, and Antonín Kraft.
The initiative enhances the cultural appeal of the holiday season, appealing to both locals and visitors in Italian-speaking Switzerland.
Inclusion and territory
Alongside the main seasons, the project be connected The program expands to include 14 events, including school concerts, family programs, open rehearsals, and special initiatives. Among these, the Open Air in Locarno for Unitas's 80th anniversary stands out, with a listening experience designed for blind and visually impaired people seated inside the orchestra.
Collaboration with the local community remains key: from the Ascona Music Weeks to events in Bellinzona, and productions shared with cultural partners and local institutions. Collaboration with the SBB and the Arcobaleno fare network also continues, allowing season ticket holders and ticket holders to reach concerts by public transport.
Communication, memory and archives
The 90th anniversary also left behind tools for historical study, such as the volume The breath of the orchestra, available in bookstores, and the digital project dedicated to the valorization of audiovisual archives created with RSI, available at the link history.osi.swiss.
The collaboration with the RSI Swiss Radio and Television continues to ensure radio broadcast of concerts and new recordings, in a path that has already achieved international recognition.
Tickets and information
Season tickets for the 2026/27 season are now on sale through the official website. www.osi.swiss, as well as via email and at the LAC box office. Single tickets will go on sale on August 1, 2026.
The season also includes special concerts, international tours, and traditional events such as the New Year's Eve Concert and the Good Friday Concert in Bellinzona.
