Stages Bern: Krzysztof Urbanski and the Bern Symphony Orchestra Extend Collaboration
18.02.2026 | from Stages Bern
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Image rights: Bühnen Bern
Photographer: Christian Kaufmann
18.02.2026, Collaboration Extended Until 2032: Chief Conductor Krzysztof Urbanski and the Bern Symphony Orchestra Continue Successful Partnership.
The Bern Symphony Orchestra is extending its collaboration with chief conductor Krzysztof Urbanski for another five seasons until 2032. This decision sets a clear signal for the successful further development of the Bern Symphony Orchestra, as endorsed by the board of trustees of Stages Bern and the chief conductor.
Today, the Bern Symphony Orchestra, under the umbrella of Stages Bern, is pleased to announce the extension of its collaboration with chief conductor Krzysztof Urbanski for another five years. An agreement to this effect was mutually reached. Since the 2024/25 season, Krzysztof Urbanski has been the chief conductor of the Bern Symphony Orchestra. Additionally, he is the music director and artistic director of the Warsaw Philharmonic, and since 2022, he has been the first guest conductor of the Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana. Urbanski has also guest-conducted with several prestigious orchestras, including the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Berlin Philharmonic, the London Symphony Orchestra, the Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich, the Orchestre de Paris, the Chicago Symphony, the New York Philharmonic, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra.
Werner Luginbühl, president of the board of trustees at Stages Bern, stated: 'As a conductor, Krzysztof Urbanski is a master of all musical epochs. His passionate commitment to orchestral quality is unmistakable, as he aspires to fully unleash the great potential of the Bern Symphony Orchestra.' Intendant and concert director Florian Scholz also highlights the forward-looking nature of this decision: 'The path that the orchestra has embarked upon with its chief has already yielded wonderful results during the first two seasons. Together, they are embarking on musical flights of fancy, as evidenced by the positive reactions of the Bern audience. Now, long-term continuity of our already fruitful collaboration is ensured.'
Under the leadership of Krzysztof Urbanski, the Bern Symphony Orchestra continues to expand its artistic and thematic range. Well-known works from the late Romantic repertoire meet reinterpretations and new discoveries, as well as exciting works of classical modernity and contemporary pieces. Furthermore, in the upcoming seasons, the orchestra, together with Krzysztof Urbanski, will further expand its international touring activities.
Chief conductor Krzysztof Urbanski expressed his gratitude for the trust shown: 'I am delighted to extend my collaboration as chief conductor of the Bern Symphony Orchestra. Working with the orchestra and the entire team at Stages Bern has been a great privilege and a constant source of artistic inspiration in past seasons. I deeply appreciate the strong and trusting relationship that has developed with our audience. This extension reaffirms my commitment to the artistic vision we have shaped together and will continue to develop over the coming years, allowing us to present an even more diverse and wider repertoire to the audience.'
Under the artistic direction of Krzysztof Urbanski, the positions of 'Artist in Residence' and 'Composer in Residence' have been newly established. Alongside continuous collaboration with top international soloists like Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Sol Gabetta, or Nemanja Radulovic, Krzysztof Urbanski will also continue the monographic cycles in Bern. Following the Beethoven Marathon, where the Canadian exceptional artist Jan Lisiecki performed all five piano concertos by Ludwig van Beethoven over two consecutive evenings, this season, pianist Anna Vinnitskaya will perform the complete piano concertos of Rachmaninoff.
Krzysztof Urbanski can next be seen at the 7th symphony concert 'Sound Alchemy' of the Bern Symphony Orchestra. The critically acclaimed Spanish violinist María Dueñas returns to Bern for the event. Under chief conductor Urbanski's direction, she will perform Karol Szymanowski's First Violin Concerto. The programme also includes an interpretation of Mieczyslaw Weinberg's Symphony No. 3 and Guillaume Connesson's 'Maslenitsa'. Both concerts with the Bern Symphony Orchestra will take place on 19th and 20th February at 19:30 in Casino Bern.
Editor's note: Image rights belong to the respective publisher. Image rights: Bühnen Bern / Photographer: Christian Kaufmann
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Stages Bern
The Bern Symphony Orchestra comprises approximately 100 musicians from currently 16 different nations. After five successful years under the artistic direction of Andrey Boreyko, Swiss conductor Mario Venzago took over as the chief conductor of the BSO at the beginning of the 2010/11 season. Other previous conductors include Dmitrij Kitajenko, Charles Dutoit, Fritz Brun, Luc Balmer, Paul Kletzki, and Peter Maag.
Founded in 1877, the Bern Symphony Orchestra has a history spanning over 130 years as the orchestra of Switzerland's federal city. Following its inception, the orchestra played at the theatre, held symphony concerts, accompanied choirs, and organized popular concerts on promenades, in gardens, and public venues.
Beginning in 1935, the orchestra regularly invited renowned guest conductors, including Bruno Walter, Erich Kleiber, Wilhelm Furtwängler, Karl Böhm, Herbert von Karajan, Sir John Barbirolli, Ernest Ansermet, and later Hans Knappertsbusch and Rafael Kubelik, or, more recently, Armin Jordan, Eliahu Inbal, Günther Herbig, Pietari Inkinen, Ari Rasilainen, Tania Miller, and Jaap van Zweden.
Notable soloists have contributed to and continue to uphold the Bern Symphony Orchestra’s reputation beyond national borders. Celebrated names such as Joshua Bell, Waltraud Meier, Elisabeth Leonskaja, and Mischa Maisky have performed with the orchestra, as well as young stars of the classical music scene like Patricia Kopatchinskaja, Martin Fröst, Fazil Say, or Nikolai Tokarev.
Today, as one of the largest orchestras in Switzerland, the BSO performs around 50 concerts per season. Beloved symphony concerts, the Gala, and the New Year's concert are among the cultural highlights of the year. Additionally, the Orchestra reaches a broad audience with the free open-air concert on the Bundesplatz at the start of the season and the imaginative 'Night of Music' at the season's end, offering the people of Bern a musical home.
The BSO also serves as the theatre orchestra for the Stadttheater Bern. In this capacity, it participated in last year's Swiss television production, La Bohème on the Highrise, which captivated an international audience and explored new avenues in the portrayal of classical music.
Other activities include tours both at home and abroad, as well as radio recordings and CD productions.
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Source: Stages Bern, Press release
Original article published on: Bühnen Bern: Krzysztof Urbanski und das Berner Symphonieorchester verlängern Zusammenarbeit