Orchestra Academy

The Haute École de Musique and the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande are continuing their long-standing collaboration by joining forces to perform Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, under the baton of Ton Koopman.

The result of a creative process spanning more than 30 years, the Ninth breaks with the purely instrumental symphonic tradition through its choral finale. Imbued with revolutionary ideals, this powerful symphony celebrates the triumph of human courage over an often ungrateful fate.

The orchestration features striking contrasts: orchestral tutti passages of almost physical intensity, dialogues between the sections in which each instrument seems to have a voice of its own, and a finale in which the strings, woodwinds and brass unite to lift the choral singing to a luminous climax.

In this side-by-side collaboration with the OSR, students from the orchestral instruments department gain invaluable experience by performing alongside professional musicians well-versed in the art of the stage.

The choir and soloists – comprising students, teachers and alumni – are from the HEM’s vocal department.