An orchestra in continuous artistic evolution, the OSI is Italian Switzerland’s flagship musical ensemble. With Markus Poschner, principal conductor since 2015, it has been making its mark on the European music scene with performances that are both innovative and persuasive, and with multi-award-winning CDs: Brahms’s complete symphonies (recipient of the ICMA international discographic award in 2018), the CDs dedicated to Richard Strauss (a composer with whom the orchestra has historical ties), and its current three-year project on previously unrecorded works by Rossini.
Each year the orchestra presents its own concert season with leading international artists. There are two main series, differentiated by the choice of programme and performers: one takes place at the Sala Teatro LAC Lugano Arte e Cultura, where the OSI is resident orchestra, and the other at the Auditorio Stelio Molo RSI in Lugano.
Also of importance are the orchestra’s opera and dance co-productions with Italian Switzerland’s principal musical institutions and with international partners, as well as its ever more frequent tours and appearances at European festivals. The orchestra has a very strong commitment to children: every year, more than 11,000 children attend concert-shows designed especially for them. It contributes to youth music education through a close relationship at various levels with the Scuola universitaria di Musica of the Conservatorio della Svizzera italiana. Open-air concerts, cine-concerts and summer festivals round off the area of its programming aimed at involving the wider public.
For almost twenty years the OSI has enjoyed a special relationship with Martha Argerich, who in the past has chosen to make Lugano the home of her Martha Argerich Project.
The OSI thanks all its sponsors, in particular the Republic and Canton of Ticino – Fondo Swisslos, the City of Lugano, the Associazione degli Amici dell’OSI and its principal sponsor BancaStato. All OSI concerts are broadcast live on RSI Rete Due.

www.osi.swiss

Orchestra Svizzera Italiana, OSI al LAC, Lugano