Orchestre de la Suisse Romande
The orchestra was founded by the legendary Ernest Ansermet in 1918, who directed it until 1967. It performs primarily in Geneva and Lausanne and regularly collaborates in productions at the Geneva Grande Théâtre. Since 2002, the ensemble’s artistic and musical director has been the Israeli musician, Pinchas Steinberg. The orchestra’s international reputation was also cemented by the work of such conductors as Paul Kletzki (1967–1970), Wolfgang Sawallisch (1970–1980), Horst Stein (1980–1985), Armin Jordan (1985-1997) and Fabio Luisi (1997-2002). The orchestra has enjoyed fruitful relationships with many of the major 20th century composers (Benjamin Britten, Claude Debussy, Heinz Holliger, Arthur Honegger, Frank Martin, Darius Milhaud, Igor Stravinsky) and gave many of their works world premiere in Geneva. In the 2000/2001 and 2001/2002 seasons, the orchestra and the Radio Suisse Romande (a Swiss French language station) jointly presented 10 world premiere performances, demonstrating their commitment to contemporary music. The Orchestra de la Suisse Romande has recorded for many leading international record labels.

Pierre-Laurent Aimard
Pierre-Laurent Aimard is one of the most popular living French pianists. He has been widely heralded for his championing of 20th century piano music, in particular the work of Olivier Messiaen and György Ligeti. He was born in Lyon in 1957 and completed his studies at the Paris Conservatoire. His teachers included Messiaen’s wife, the pianist Yvonne Loriod. In 1973 he won the international Olivier Messiaen competition. In 1977 Pierre Boulez invited him as a soloist with the Ensemble InterContemporain. He worked with this ensemble for eighteen years, during which he studied and performed much of the major 20th century repertoire. He enjoys a close relationship with such composers as Boulez, Stockhausen, Ligeti and Kurtág. He made a highly successful recording of Ligeti’s piano concerto with the Asko Ensemble in 2001. In 2000 he recorded the seminal Messiaen piano work, Vingt Regards sur l’Enfant Jesus, and was showered with critical appraise. Pierre-Laurent Aimard has performed in Budapest frequently in recent years and his concerts have always been keenly anticipated and received.

Péter Eötvös
Péter Eötvös began his dual career as conductor and composer while a colleague of Stockhausen and Boulez. From 1978 to 1991 he was the artistic director of the Ensemble InterContemporain in Paris. From 1985 to 1988 he was the principal guest conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra. He was also resident principal conductor of the Budapest Festival Orchestra from 1992 to 1995, and resident guest conductor of the Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra. He is presently the resident conductor of the Dutch Radio Chamber Orchestra and a Professor at the Cologne Music College. In 1991 he founded the International Eötvös Institute to help the further studies of young conductors and composers. In recognition of his work, Péter Eötvös was awarded the Budapest Bartók-Pásztory-Prize in 1997 and in 2002 the Kossuth Prize. In 2004 he accepted the “Cannes Classical Award” and the “Pro Europa Composition Prize.” In 2003 he was bequeathed the “Commandeur l’Ordre des l’Arts et des Lettres” state award from the French Ministry of Culture. Since 1997 he has been a member of the Berliner Akademie der Künste, since 1998 a member of the Budapest Széchenyi Academy of Literature and the Arts, and since 1999 a fellow of the Dresden Sächsische Akademie der Künste. His compositions have been performed all over the world. His first opera, “Three Sisters” won the French critics award in 1998, as well as the “Prix Claude-Rostand”, “Victoires de la Musique Classsique et du Jazz 1999” (Paris) and “Prix Caecillia” (Brussels.) His next opera, “Le Balcon” was premiered at the 2002 Aix-en-Provence festival, while “Angels in America” was premiered at the Paris Chatelet Theatre in 2004 and has been regularly performed in a number of European opera houses since then. His compositions have been published by Editio Musica in Budapest, Salabert in Paris, Ricordi in Munich and by Schott Music. His recordings are available on BMC, DGG, ECM, EMI, Gramophon AB BIS and Kairos Vienna.