Concert tour 2026
«West Side Stories»
Vibrant colors, pulsating rhythms, and radiant melodies – the Swiss Symphonic Wind Orchestra tells musical stories and presents works by young, emerging composers from the Swiss West as part of its "West Side Stories" tour.
At the center of the program are the "Symphonic Dances from 'West Side Story'" by Leonard Bernstein in a Paul Lavender wind band arrangement, which captivate with their stylistic diversity and worldwide popularity.
The highlight of the first concert segment is Oscar Navarro's "Il Concerto for Clarinet and Wind Band," a three-movement, virtuosic clarinet concerto with Spanish flair, virtuously interpreted by our concertmaster Joel Cardoso.
The program is well rounded by three works by young composers from French-speaking Switzerland: "Plasma" by Gauthier Dupertuis, an energetic, constantly pulsating, and enthralling overture; "Sacred Dance for an Ungodly World" by Théo Schmitt, a work reflecting on time that seeks answers to the misery of our world; and this year's SSWO commissioned composition, "Parade" by 24-year-old Théo Rossier from Vaud. The piece, which is set in an ambivalently mysterious and festive mood, is inspired by Goya's fresco "The Procession of Saint Isidore".
Tour dates
Saturday, 12th september 2026
19.30h, Zurich-Oerlikon
Concert hall 1, Brunnenhof
(formerly Radiostudio)
Saturday, 19th september 2026
19.30h, Widnau
Widebaumsaal, Hotel Metropol
Sunday, 20th september 2026
18.00h, Urdorf
Aula, Kantonsschule Limmattal
Program
«Parade»
Théo Rossier (*2002)
SSWO premiere 2026
Break
Composer of the commissioned work
Théo Rossier
Théo Rossier was born on 11.06.2002 in Switzerland, in the canton of Vaud. He began playing the cornet at the age of 6, before switching to the trumpet a few years later. In 2016, he began to take an interest in composing and wrote as an autodidact until 2019. He began a course in harmony at the Lausanne Conservatory as part of leading a wind ensemble. In 2021, his piece "Celui qui chuchotait dans les ténèbres" was selected by the Lausanne Chamber Orchestra to be recorded as part of a project to promote Swiss composers during the pandemic.
In 2022, he won the first prize in the European Brass Band Composition Competition for his piece "Stendhal's Syndrome", which was premiered by the Grimethorpe Colliery Band at Birmingham Town Hall. He completed his bachelor's degree in classical music with a focus on composition at the University of the Arts Bern, where he studied under Xavier Dayer, Irene Galindo Quero, and Oliver Waespi. He is currently continuing his education as a conductor for wind orchestras at the Freiburg Conservatory under Jean-Claude Kolly and Stéphane Delley.
Solist
Joel Cardoso
Joel Cardoso is a Portuguese clarinetist and an official Backun Artist. He is a member of the City Light Orchestra (KKL Lucerne) and regularly collaborates with the Orchestra della Svizzera italiana, the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra, the Argovia Philharmonic, and the Philharmonic Orchestra of Freiburg. Since 2024, he has been the concertmaster of the Swiss Symphonic Wind Orchestra.
He has won over 20 international competitions, including 1. Prizes at the Carlino Clarinet International Competition (Italy, 2023) and the Thailand International Clarinet Competition (2021), as well as a scholarship from the Yamaha Music Foundation of Europe. Concert performances took him to festivals in Lucerne, Zermatt, Grafenegg, and Davos, among others. He also performed with the Lucerne Festival Contemporary Orchestra and was invited to the Zermatt Music Festival & Academy twice.
Joel Cardoso currently lives in Switzerland and is pursuing a solo master's degree at the University of Lucerne (his third master's degree). He studied with Paolo Beltramini, Robert Pickup, François Benda, and Jordi Pons, among others. Joel Cardoso is the official artist for Backun, D’Addario, and SCV Ligatures.
