* En anglais uniquement
A Swiss orchestra of 116 musicians, the
Philharmonia Zurich was previously named the
Zurich Opera Orchestra in 1985, and though it remains the orchestra of the Zurich Opera House, it was renamed in 2012 under director Andreas Homoki and music director and conductor
Fabio Luisi. (Also spun off from the original
Zurich Opera Orchestra was the ensemble La Scintilla, formed in 1994 as a period instruments ensemble which still accompanies early opera performances under conductors who specialize in historical practices.) The director of the Zurich Opera House from 1991 to 2012 was Alexander Pereira, who sought to establish the orchestra as an independent body with its own programming, and in this period,
Franz Welser-Möst raised the orchestra's profile internationally, first as chief conductor, then as general music director. He was succeeded as conductor by
Daniele Gatti in 2009 and
Fabio Luisi in 2012. In addition to playing for operas and its own concerts, the
Philharmonia Zurich hosts an academy for teaching young musicians and works with the Zurich University of the Arts, providing practical experience for students in its MA program. The
Philharmonia Zurich has established its own label, Philharmonia Records.