The 'Berner Kammerorchester' (BKO) was founded under the initiative of Hermann Müller, who conducted the orchestra for 35 years. Following his retirement the BKO was, from 1973 until 1992, brought under the baton of the West-Swiss born Jean-Pierre Moeckli and then left, for two years, to the charge of Olivier Cuendet. Johannes Schlaefli presently stands at the forefront of the BKO having taken over its direction in 1995, bringing with him a breath of fresh air to the orchestra. Today the BKO is a young, dynamic professional ensemble, which has enriched the city of Berne with its multifaceted chamber-musical project engagements. In addition to the performance of contemporary works and the distribution of commissions, the BKO also cultivates, with some care, its tradition of presenting familiar compositions alongside those less known from the Baroque to the Modern period. It is for these reasons that the orchestra has been able, until present, to present ca. 70 world premieres and more than 200 Bernese or Swiss first performances.
It is a concern of the 'Berner Kammerorchester' to provide young musicians with a podium upon which to perform and to offer an artistic springboard for young soloists. Furthermore, the BKO repeatedly invites renowned acquaintances in order to deepen successful collaborations.
Katrin Frauchiger:
Lontano für Kammerensemble (1,1,1,0 - 0,0,0,0 - Klav - 1,1,1,1,1)