Basel Sinfonietta is a full symphony orchestra specializing in contemporary music – which makes it unique in the classical music scene. Since the 2023/24 season, the post of Basel Sinfonietta’s principal conductor has been held by Titus Engel. Driven by its ambition to perform music in tune with the spirit of the age, since its foundation in 1980 Basel Sinfonietta has been transcending classical concert conventions and eagerly exploring other genres and cultures in its programmes. 

The Orchestra has collaborated with the leading composers of our time, commissioning numerous works and presenting more than 220 world and Swiss premieres since its inception.

Apart from six subscription concert cycles (presented in its homeland at the meeting point of three states: Switzerland, France, and Germany), which bring contemporary music for large orchestra to some unusual places and venues as well, Basel Sinfonietta is a regular guest at local festivals, and a regular partner of Theater Basel, the Kaserne Basel contemporary performance centre, the Basel Museum of Art, and the Art Basel fair. 

Since its foundation, the Orchestra has also given numerous guest performances in Europe and Asia, and been invited to such prestigious festivals as the Ruhrtriennale, Acht Brücken in Cologne, Salzburger Festspiele, Darmstadt International Summer Courses for New Music, Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival (England), “rainy days” festival of contemporary music in Luxembourg, Festival d’Automne in Paris, Archipel in Geneva, Música Contemporánea de Alicante, Dialogues Festival of the Salzburg Mozarteum Foundation, and Festival Musica in Strasbourg. Basel Sinfonietta’s concerts are regularly broadcast by the Swiss Radio SRF Kultur and other international broadcasters.

Highlights of the 2023/24 season included the premiere of Moritz Eggert’s new music for Alfred Hitchcock’s silent film classic Blackmail as well as numerous world and local premieres of works by Sofia Gubaidulina, Michael Wertmüller, Simon Steen-Andersen, Hannah Kendall, Lukas Ligeti, Hildur Gudnadóttir, Nik Bärtsch, Isabel Mundry, Gemma Ragués Pujol, Ylva Lund Bergner, Maja Solveig Kjelstrup Ratkje, and Cathy Milliken. 

Basel Sinfonietta is a self-governing orchestra organised as an association, which means that all of its members can participate in the democratic decision-making process concerning programming and directions of development. The Orchestra is financially supported by the Canton of Basel City, among others.