Saison 2026 / 2027
Every season tells its own stories. They emerge from new encounters, sometimes from works that have been part of our lives for years. Often, it is both at once.
The Zurich Jazz Orchestra continues its exploration of Duke Ellington’s music, performing one of his great late masterpieces, the New Orleans Suite, for the first time. After a short break, we are delighted to resume our concert series at Kulturmarkt Zürich.
There are programmes we return to time and again. Not out of habit, but because they still have something to say to us. Miles Davis would have turned 100 in 2026, and we have brought our music theatre production Miles oder die Pendeluhr back to the stage. The great demand has convinced us to return to the piece once more this autumn, at Theater Rigiblick.
At the same time, an orchestra thrives on inviting new voices. Sarah Chaksad is one of the defining composers of her generation. Her music explores the sound and possibilities of a large jazz orchestra without being bound by convention. She shows just how diverse and contemporary writing for large jazz ensembles can be today. We will perform Sarah’s compositions, with Sarah herself conducting.
China Moses, too, brings her own musical world to the stage. The singer, songwriter and producer is one of the defining voices in international jazz. She has enjoyed an artistic partnership with Ed Partyka for many years, and he has arranged many of her compositions for jazz orchestra. We are therefore especially delighted to bring this music to the stage for the first time together with China Moses.
And there will be no December without The Nutcracker. Since 2021, the performance has sold out in no time, and we are delighted that, at the age of 89, Klaus Henner Russius will once again read E. T. A. Hoffmann’s fairy tale The Nutcracker to the sounds of Duke Ellington’s The Nutcracker Suite.
To round off the year, we will take a trip to New York City’s Village Vanguard and celebrate the music of the Thad Jones – Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra.
