In addition to her upcoming debut as Ulrica in Un ballo in maschera, Mirjam Fässler has recently appeared as Santuzza in Mascagni’s Cavalleria rusticana, as the Second Norn and Wellgunde in Wagner’s Götterdämmerung. Her concert repertoire includes works such as Wagner’s Wesendonck Lieder, Mahler’s Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen, Rückert-Lieder and Kindertotenlieder, as well as Ravel’s Shéhérazade, among many others. In January 2025, the Swiss mezzo-soprano created Salon Schubert for voice and guitar, a new concert format within the genre of German art song with Romantic guitar, lending her voice to works that were in some cases even conceived and written for the guitar. After her studies, she collaborated with Sandra Trattnigg (THE MASTERCLASS Zurich | Vienna) and Vesselina Kasarova, and since 2024 Mirjam has been a Richard Wagner Fellow at the Bayreuth Festival.

www.mirjam-faessler.com

Founded in 2023 by the Bernese singers and choir directors Emilie Inniger and Moritz Achermann, the vocal ensemble tempo d’affetto has become a finely attuned choir with a wide-ranging repertoire. Instead of traditional musical direction, it follows a collective interpretative process based entirely on interaction between the singers and their individual vocal and artistic styles. The ensemble creates programmes inspired by diverse performance traditions, combining old and new, the known and the unknown, as well as historically informed performance practice with its own interpretations.

Moritz Achermann is a musicologist, Germanist, singer and composer based in Bern, and works as a choir director, theatre musician and composer. He writes texts for music festivals and has received commissions for the Baroque ensemble Il Dolcimento and the chamber orchestra musica movendi. He has been a member of the Baroque ensemble die Freitagsakademie since 2019 and has co-led the vocal ensemble tempo d’affetto since 2023. Together with theatre director Murielle Jenni, he leads the theatre group at Gymnasium Neufeld. Moritz Achermann conducts the vocal ensemble supplements musicaux, which he founded, as well as the Amadeus Choir Bern, and also works as a singer, DJ and performer.

As artistic director of the Festival Strings Lucerne, as a soloist, as well as a concertmaster and chamber musician, Daniel Dodds has performed all over the world. With his critically acclaimed solo CD “Time Transcending”, he shows that he knows no limits on the violin. Daniel Dodds teaches at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts and at the Talent week of the Festival Strings Lucerne during the summer. Born in Australia, he studied in Lucerne and Utrecht and also received inspiration from, among others, Nathan Milstein, who, upon hearing Daniel Dodds rendition of a Paganini Caprice, remarked: “Who is this violinist, he could truly be Paganini‘s Grandson!” Daniel Dodds performs on the “ex Hämmerle – ex Baumgartner” 1717 Stradivarius, kindly loaned by the Festival Strings Lucerne foundation.

www.danieldodds.net

Eoin Ducrot is widely regarded as one of the most exciting Irish musicians of his generation. He studied in Basel and is an award-winning soloist and chamber musician. His solo accolades include the Rahn Musikpreis, in chamber music, he has received top prizes, notably the first prize at the Hochschule für Musik Basel Duo Competition, leading to a personal invitation from Sir András Schiff to perform at the Beethoven Festival in Bonn. Ducrot is the founder of the Opalio Quintet and a core member of CHAARTS Chamber Artists, appearing in major concert halls worldwide and contributing to recordings spanning repertoire from baroque to contemporary crossover works including Norah Jones and Whitney Houston. Beyond the classical stage, Ducrot is an accomplished arranger and improviser. Since 2022, he has been co-artistic director of the Vittorio Veneto Chamber Music Festival.

www.eoinducrot.com

Violinist Joanne Green, a member of the Scottish Ensemble since 2003, performs internationally in programmes that create new forms of chamber music performance. These performances often involve playing from memory and incorporate movement, choreography and cross-artform collaboration. She is Chair of ESTA UK, part of the European String Teachers Association, and founder of Breathe Music, bringing chamber music to rural communities across the UK.

Praised for her “extraordinary musicality” and “maturity far beyond her years”, Miriam Helms Ålien is one of the most exciting young artists from Norway. Born in Alta, she began playing the violin at the age of six and, since her solo debut at eight, has appeared as a soloist with many Norwegian orchestras as well as orchestras in Germany, Israel, Denmark, Italy and the Czech Republic. Recent highlights include performances with the Trondheim Symphony Orchestra and the Schweizer Camerata at KKL Luzern, as well as chamber music performances at the Liszt Academy in Budapest, the Berlin Konzerthaus, and at the Bergen Festival. Miriam is the artistic director of FESTIVALTA – the world’s northernmost chamber music festival of its kind.

www.miriamhelmsalien.com

Gwendolyn Masin relentlessly finds new ways to make more music more accessible: whether as a violinist, musicologist, educator, author, artistic director, or conductor. Gwendolyn is passionate about promoting contemporary music and regularly commissions and premieres works by emerging composers. During her violin studies in London, Berne, Zurich and Lübeck she received degrees with highest honours and completed her doctorate in 2012 with a thesis on violin pedagogy. Concerts take her all over Europe and the United States, as well as Asia, South Africa, and the Middle East, where she performs as a soloist with orchestras. She is the first Licensed Body Mapping Educator (Association for Body Mapping Education) in Switzerland.

gwendolynmasin.com

Patrick Jüdt performs internationally as a soloist and chamber musician. He is a Professor of Viola, Chamber Music and Contemporary Music at the Bern University of the Arts. Together with Johannes Meissl and Minna Pensola, he is the Artistic Director of the ECMA (European Chamber Music Academy).

Young, Irish, contemporary – that's Martin Moriarty. The violist received his first lessons from Gwendolyn Masin's parents and recently completed his studies in Zurich with world renowned violist Lawrence Power. Thanks to his passion for contemporary music, he has already worked with Garth Knox and played the Czech premiere of James MacMillan's Viola Concerto. He has been invited to perform at well-known festivals such as Verbier, Krzyzowa and IMS Prussia Cove. Martin Moriarty teaches at masterclasses in Ireland and has assisted Adrian Brendel and Hartmut Rohde, among others, at the NCH International Master Course founded by Gwendolyn Masin.

martinmoriartyviolist.com

Julia Wawrowska, a Polish violist based in Zurich, has collaborated with artists including Lisa Batiashvili, Sergei Malov and the Berlin Philharmonic’s Karajan Academy. She studied in Berlin and Warsaw and, since 2023, has been continuing her studies on the Master’s programme in Solo Performance at the Zurich University of the Arts. Julia made her solo debut in 2022 with the Zielona Góra Philharmonic. She has been invited to international festivals, including in Davos and at the Kronberg Academy. Since 2022, she has been supported by Pirastro as a Young Artist. Julia plays a viola made by Jerzy Wykpisz in 2018.

www.juliawawrowska.com

Spanish cellist and composer Alfredo Ferre Martínez combines an international career as a soloist and chamber musician with a distinctive creative voice rooted in presence and meditation. Winner of 1st Prize at the Antonio Janigro Cello Competition in Zagreb and the Firmenich Prize at the Verbier Festival, he has appeared at venues such as KKL Luzern, the Auditorio Nacional de Madrid and Teatro La Fenice in Venice. For several years, he has been exploring the intersection between classical tradition, electronics and meditative sound in various projects. In this context, he has performed at the Verbier Festival, the Theater im Hof, and the Septembre Musical Festival in Montreux.

onomeya.com

Born in 1989 in Istanbul, Nil Kocamangil is a leading cellist of her generation, internationally acclaimed for her powerful, virtuosic playing. As a soloist, she has performed with orchestras including the Concertgebouw Chamber Orchestra, the Thessaloniki State Symphony Orchestra, the Kosovo Philharmonic and the Tekfen Philharmonic, among many others. She has appeared at major venues including Nikolaisaal Potsdam, the Concertgebouw Amsterdam and FLV Paris, as well as at festivals such as the Verbier Festival and the Athens Epidaurus Festival. An award winner at international competitions, she studied in Germany and France with renowned cellists. Alongside her solo career, she teaches at MSFAU State Conservatory and is Director of the Istanbul International Chamber Music Festival.

www.nilkocamangil.com

Samuel Niederhauser has been Principal Cellist of the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra since 2022. Born in Bern, he studied with Thomas Grossenbacher in Zurich and Thomas Demenga in Basel. He completed his Master’s degree in Solo Performance in 2023 and won Third Prize at the International Paulo Cello Competition in Helsinki. In previous years, he was awarded the Guy Fallot Prize at the Concours de Genève, the Göhner Music Prize, and was a laureate of the prestigious Queen Elisabeth Competition in Brussels. He performs regularly as a soloist and chamber musician, including with the Gstaad Menuhin Festival Orchestra, the Royal Northern Sinfonia (Newcastle) and the Basel Symphony Orchestra, as well as at festivals in Switzerland and abroad.

Chiara Samatanga was born into a family of musicians in Zurich, Switzerland, and studied with Thomas Grossenbacher, Jens Peter Maintz and Steven Isserlis. She is the first prize winner of both the International Lutosławski Cello Competition (Warsaw) and the Pierre Fournier Award (London), and has appeared as a soloist with orchestras across Europe. She is a regular guest at chamber music festivals such as Musikdorf Ernen, the Menuhin Festival Gstaad and Prussia Cove. Chiara is a member of the Carmina Quartet and leads a cello class at the Bern University of the Arts, where she also teaches chamber music.

www.chiarasamatanga.com

Lina Humbel received her first double bass lessons at the age of ten. After completing the Pre-College programme, she began her Bachelor’s studies at the Hochschule für Musik FHNW in Basel and continued with a Master’s degree in Barcelona. Since 2024, she has been studying with Ruslan Lutsyk in Bern. As a soloist, she has performed with the Siggenthal Youth Orchestra and has played with the Swiss Chamber Soloists, the Neues Orchester Basel, as well as with La Scintilla. Since 2025, she has been a regular assistant at the Zurich Opera House. Lina is a member of the renowned Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra and has performed under the baton of conductors including Teodor Currentzis, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Manfred Honeck and Jakub Hrůša, among others. Moreover, she performs with her band Otrava (gypsy jazz, Balkan, klezmer).

Describing Alexander Boldachev as a ‘polystylist’ is probably the best way to summarise his diverse musical activities. He studied harp, composition and conducting in Zurich and plays classical music as well as rock covers. This is also reflected in the venues where he performs: from the Bolshoi Theatre to Carnegie Hall to the opening of the FIFA World Cup. He has won over 20 competition prizes as a harpist and composer and has been invited by leading music academies such as the Juilliard School to pass on his knowledge to young musicians.

alexanderboldachev.com

One of Ireland's most celebrated musicians and significant musical ambassadors, Finghin Collins’ international career was launched by winning first prize at the Clara Haskil Competition in Switzerland in 1999. He has performed in recital and with major orchestras throughout Europe and the United States, as well as in the Far East and Australia. Since 2013, Collins has been Artistic Director of Music for Galway, while he is also the founding Artistic Director, since 2006, of the New Ross Piano Festival in Wexford. In March 2023 he was appointed Artistic Director of the Dublin International Piano Competition. In 2017, the National University of Ireland conferred on Finghin Collins an honorary Degree of Doctor of Music.

www.finghincollins.com

1st prize-winner at the Jaques Samuel Competition, London, Irish pianist Fiachra Gavrey has also been a prize-winner at AXA Dublin, EU Prague and the Soirees-Concours Internationales de Piano a Collioure, France. Concerto appearances include the Janáček Philharmonic, National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, RTÉ Concert Orchestra, Irish Chamber Orchestra, Cambridge SO, working with conductors John Wilson, Theodore Kuchar, Stephen Bell, Mihhail Gerts, Ruth Reinhardt and Duncan Ward. Fiachra has released two solo albums, “For the Piano” (RTE label) and a Live from Wigmore Hall disc. Fiachra is the Founder and Artistic Director of both the West Wicklow Chamber Music Festival and Classical Vauxhall.

fiachragarvey.com

Babette Mondry is a solo organist and chamber musician, who also performs with orchestras and choirs. In her artistic work, she combines a love of the historical organ with a passion for experimenting with contemporary approaches. She performs throughout Europe, Brazil, Japan and Israel, together with chamber music partners including Heinz Holliger, Andreas Scholl and Rolf Romei. Since 2017, she has been organist at the Town Church of Thun. As a co-initiator of the Neue Orgel (New Organ) project at the Stadtcasino Basel, she was a member of the expert team and played an active role in the organising committee of the Organ Festival, which took place from 2020 to 2023.

www.babettemondry.ch

Zoi Argyriou ist eine Schlagzeugerin und Performerin mit Wohnsitz in Bern. Als Solistin und Ensemblemitglied, spezialisiert in zeitgenössischer Musik, legt sie den Fokus auf experimentelle und interdisziplinäre Performance-Praktiken. Sie ist Mitglied von Kollektiv3:6Koeln und Mitgründerin des OCTA Duos. Ihr künstlerischer Weg umfasst Kooperationen mit Ensembles wie dem Collegium Novum Zürich, Mahler Chamber Orchestra sowie Auftritte bei Festivals wie dem MITO SettembreMusica, Ruhrtriennale und Lucerne Festival Pulse. Sie arbeitet eng mit Komponist:innen zusammen und brachte zahlreiche Werke zur Uraufführung.

www.zoiargyriou.com

Clémence Hirt, a song pianist and piano accompanist from Fribourg, works throughout Switzerland. Her dedication to the art of Lieder has been recognised at international competitions. In the 2026/27 concert season, she will accompany three productions at TOBS as well as a project at the Grand Théâtre de Genève. Clémence Hirt is repetiteur for the Swiss Youth Choir and the Solothurn Concert Choir. She completed her studies at the conservatories in Geneva and Zurich. She currently directs the Vokalensemble Hathor in Fribourg and is studying orchestral conducting at the HKB.

clemencehirt.com

Xavier Dayer was born in 1972 in Geneva, where he also began his studies in composition with Eric Gaudibert before continuing his musical education with Tristan Murail and Brian Ferneyhough in Paris (IRCAM). He has received prizes from the Bürgi-Willert Foundation as well as from FEMS. His works have been commissioned by the Grand Théâtre de Genève, the Lucerne Festival, the Swiss Chamber Soloists and Ensemble Contrechamps, among others. Xavier has taught composition and music theory at the Bern University of the Arts, where he also headed the Master of Arts in Composition programme. In 2008/09, he was a fellow at the Académie de France à Rome – Villa Medici and received the Canton of Bern Music Prize in 2020. Since August 2024, he has been head of the Department of Music at the Zurich University of the Arts.

www.xavierdayer.com

Meral Kureyshi, born in 1983 in Prizren, came to Switzerland with her family in 1992 and lives in Bern. She studied literature and German studies and works as a freelance writer. Her first novel Elefanten im Garten was nominated for the Swiss Book Prize, received multiple awards, and has been translated into many languages. Her second novel Fünf Jahreszeiten was honored at the manuscript stage with the literary prize “The Second Book” from the Marianne and Curt Dienemann Foundation. In 2020, she was invited to the Days of German-Language Literature in Klagenfurt (Bachmann Prize). For Im Meer waren wir nie, she received a literary prize from the Canton of Bern in 2025.

Sabine Hertig is a Swiss artist who understands collage as a way of thinking and explores perception and fragmentation through analogue collage and moving image. Historical traditions of montage are confronted with contemporary digital processes and transformed into new perceptual scenarios. Hertig has been represented by Galerie STAMPA in Basel for many years and, since 2022, also by Galerie C in Paris. Her work has been exhibited internationally and has received awards. She lives and works in Basel.

sabinehertig.ch