Empyrean Orchestra

The Empyrean Orchestra was founded in early 2025 in Zurich by the London-born Swiss conductor Kevin Griffiths, bringing together outstanding young musicians from Switzerland's freelance cultural scene. From its earliest days, the ensemble has combined artistic excellence with the ambition to forge new paths in music-making, musical education and shared musical experience.

The Empyrean Orchestra does not regard tradition as the counterpart of innovation, but as its point of departure. Alongside its cultivation of the classical repertoire on renowned concert stages at home and abroad, the Empyrean Orchestra develops new concert and educational formats at the intersection of music, science and technology. Through the use of digital technologies, participatory elements and innovative modes of presentation, it creates concert experiences that open fresh perspectives and kindle enthusiasm for classical music, not least among younger generations.

Despite its youth, the orchestra has established itself on major stages in remarkably short order. The ensemble first appeared at the Tonhalle Zürich with the concert project «Mephisto im Spiegel der Töne» (Mephisto Reflected in Sound). Further concerts at the Tonhalle Zürich, including as part of the Klassifest, as well as appearances at the Stadtcasino Basel and invitations to the Lenzburgiade and the Klosters Music Festival, underline the ensemble's swift artistic development. Further international engagements are in preparation. The Empyrean Orchestra has already collaborated with renowned soloists such as Kian Soltani, Maurice Steger, Alexandre Dubach, Svetlin Roussev and Äneas Humm, with further collaborations, including with the Zürcher Sängerknaben, to follow.

A central pillar of the Empyrean Orchestra's work is the nurturing of young talent. Rising soloists are given the opportunity to gain valuable stage experience and to develop artistically. The young violinist Ilva Eigus has already appeared as soloist with the orchestra, while at the AMG concerts in Basel, fourteen-year-old violinist Edna Unseld captivated audiences. The orchestra sees itself as a platform for the next generation of outstanding musical personalities, creating spaces in which young talents can grow and realise their potential.

This commitment continues in the Empyrean Academy, an educational initiative of the orchestra for children and young people. Under the direction of Kevin Griffiths and musicians of the Empyrean Orchestra, children of every age are given the opportunity, regardless of prior musical experience, to experience music actively, to play together in ensemble, and to take their first steps in conducting. The focus lies not only on musical skills but also on personal development, creative thinking, teamwork and leadership. The highlight of the Academy is a side-by-side project in which the young participants perform together with musicians of the Empyrean Orchestra at the Tonhalle Zürich. The first project took place in March 2026, with a continuation already planned for the coming season.

Beyond its artistic activity, the Empyrean Orchestra is committed to social and cultural responsibility. The ensemble regularly takes part in charitable projects, including the benefit concerts of Artists For A Better Planet at the Grossmünster and Fraumünster in Zurich in aid of disadvantaged children in areas of social hardship and war. The ensemble has also appeared at special private and institutional occasions, including at the Zunft zur Meisen in Zurich and at the Schiffbau Zürich for the Helsana Group, whose guests included a member of the Swiss Federal Council. At the same time, the orchestra fosters contemporary composition through the performance of new works by composers such as Ruth Dürrenmatt, daughter of the writer Friedrich Dürrenmatt, and Joel Henrik Helle.

Looking to the future, the Empyrean Orchestra is expanding the dialogue between music, science and technology through new artistic projects and partnerships. In doing so, the ensemble draws on a centuries-old tradition in which artistic and scientific curiosity are understood as expressions of the same quest for knowledge. Planned collaborations with researchers at MIT and ETH Zurich, new concert formats for younger audiences, and initiatives for deaf children exemplify this approach. In the long term, the Empyrean Orchestra aims to establish itself as a culturally influential institution with international reach – rooted in artistic excellence, yet open to new forms of music-making, learning and experience.