The Swiss Jazz Orchestra was established in 2003. Although the band has undergone many changes, some of its original members remain. The Big Band of Swiss Jazz School is where the orchestra’s roots lie. This college, which has been part of Art School of Bern Hochschule der Kunste Bern ever since 2003, is the oldest college of jazz music in Switzerland. Monday Jazz Nights are a series that takes place every Monday at Bierhubeli, Bern. In the 2013-2014 season, the Swiss Jazz Orchestra celebrated their 10th anniversary. The Swiss Jazz Orchestra has collaborated with Anders Bergcrantz and Jerry Bergonzi, Buddy DeFranco. Torun Eriksen. George Gruntz. Joe Haider. Bert Joris. Pepe Lienhard. Jim McNeely. Sandy Patton. Chico Pinheiro. Paquito D’Rivera. Claudio Roditi. Alex Sipiagin. Phil Woods. Bern’s Big Band of the Swiss Jazz School (SJS), grew weary of losing their talented graduates and decided to form a Big Band to keep playing together. The Swiss Jazz Orchestra (SJO), was formed. The first season saw the orchestra perform Marian’s Jazzroom in Bern. This anniversary is possible because of the roots that Bernese surgeon Ulrich Althaus, a jazz insider, planted for the orchestra. He sounded the Association Swiss Jazz Orchestra on February 9, 2004. The association’s purpose is to provide a financial and administrative foundation for the SJO. The public was drawn to Althaus’s project and gave their support. Hans Rudolf Isliker assumed the presidency of the Association Swiss Jazz Orchestra (VSJO), until Peter Knutti was elected president. The management of the band was done by musicians (Till Grunewald and Klaus Widmer, Johannes Walter, Thomas Knuchel), before Angela Schenker was hired to be part-time manager. They form the business administration together with Peter Knutti, the musicians’ deputies. Monday Big Band Jazz Nights is a series that takes place every Monday at the Bierhubeli, Bern. There are a variety of themes in the series (Latin/Tribute/Gala/ and Groove Night), giving the orchestra an opportunity to try out different styles. The Swiss Jazz Orchestra is Switzerland’s only major band that gives a series concert on a regular basis. This requires a lot of effort to create a new repertoire every week. Monday Big Band Jazz Nights are the backbone of other advanced projects, including CD productions and tours in Switzerland and overseas. The Monday Big Band Jazz Nights program features a rotation of four themes. Groove Night focuses on unusual and difficult rhythms. Latin Night transports the audience to Latin American spheres. The SJO also has a wide range of stylistics from all types of well-known composers. Tribute-Night features a special artist each month or a general topic that is based on the history of jazz. The Gala Night is the fourth category of concerts. Gala Night concerts are where a guest is invited to enrich the program with their music, expertise, or personality. It is rare for an orchestra not to have one leader, but several who are derived from it. Philip Henzi explains why this is so. “Why there’s not one musical leader goes back as far as the orchestra’s early days: It was founded by three people. We value and depend on each member’s motivation, impetus and ideas, so we try to ensure that all members of the band are represented democratically by the musical leaders. This is likely why we have such consistency in our musicians’ line-ups. It is difficult to handle all the tasks involved in the preparation of the programs, communication with guest-soloists, and coordination of rehearsals. Leaders: Stefan Schlegel, Johannes Walter, Philip Henzi , Lukas Thoni , Dave Blaser , Andreas Tschopp , Jurg Bucher Former leaders: George Robert, Stephan Geiser, Daniel Woodtli. The Burgergemeinde cultural prize (engl. The Inherited Citizen community (engl.) is a prize that the city of Bern gives once per year to a group, organization, or cultural institution that has made a significant contribution to the well-being of Bern’s cultural life. The prize was presented to the Swiss Jazz Orchestra in 2010. The success story of SJO, which was founded at Bierhubeli in Bern, was a special honor for the committee. These concerts are given in an exceptional frequency and quality for a period of eight month each year. [19] The orchestra’s long-standing cooperation with musicians, composers, and bandleaders earned it an international reputation. Second, the musicians are able to perform top-quality concerts despite their modest salary, which is a sign of their dedication. The Swiss Jazz Orchestra was also inspired by the cultural award and is now planning for a bright future. The prize is a reward and the orchestra will invest in a long-term future. The SJO hopes to expand its offer of being a platform that showcases the best young Jazz-musicians so they can show their talents in a segment that has earned a better reputation by the modern system. To attract more people, the orchestra invites more guests to sounding names. Future projects will strengthen the orchestra’s position in the top league. Over the past ten years, the lineup of Swiss Jazz Orchestras has changed quite a bit. Some chairs still have the original members who started the band, but others were quickly replaced. You can find the complete list of former members on wikipedia
