Classical music
The second half of the 19th century saw the emergence of the first important figures in Swiss music, notably Friedrich Hegar (1841-1927), a composer, conductor and violinist who had a major influence on the country's musical development. At the same time, Hans Huber (1852 -1921) also played a major role, composing some of the first important Swiss symphonies, including Tellsinfonie, based on the story of William Tell, the national hero. From 1900 onwards, more and more central figures appeared, such as Ernest Bloch (1880-1959), a composer close to the neoclassical movement, famous for his direction of American musical institutions (Cleveland or San Francisco). Although unjustly forgotten, Othmar Schoeck (1866-1957) was the first Swiss composer to achieve worldwide fame.
In the 1920s, two Swiss artists took part in the French "années folles": Arthur Honegger and Heinrich Sutermeister. The former, Honegger (1892-1955), joined the famous "groupe des six" (group of six) formed by Poulenc, Milhaud, Auric, Durey and Tailleferre - under the aegis of Jean Cocteau - in reaction to Wagnerism and musical impressionism. The second, Heinrich Sutermeister (1910-1995), was also a member of the "groupe des six", but was not part of it.
In the second half of the twentieth century, the country was also marked by twelve-tone music, embodied here by local avant-garde figures such as Alfred Keller (1907-1987), a pupil of Schönberg, and Rolf Liebermann (1910-1999), also famous for his trenchant stage directions and his direction of the Opéra Garnier.
More recently, Klaus Huber (1924-2017), composer and teacher, has had the greatest impact on the country's contemporary music scene. More iconoclastic, Jacques Guyonnet (1933-2018) is the other great figure of Swiss contemporary creation.
On a more local level, Lausanne's Richard Dubugnon (b. 1968) is one of the most performed and successful Swiss composers of his generation. The other great local pride is Ernest Ansermet (1883-1969). An illustrious conductor from Vevey, he founded the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande (OSR) in 1918, and was then entrusted with the musical direction of Ballets Russes shows by Serge de Diaghilev between 1915 and 1923, giving it an international dimension.
The OSR has since become the country's most important symphony orchestra. It has been conducted by such great names as Marek Janowski (2005-2012), NeemeJärvi (2012-2015) and Armin Jordan (1985-1997), one of Switzerland's leading conductors, along with his son Philippe Jordan (Music Director of the Opéra national de Paris) and Charles Dutoit (a native of Lausanne).
Lausanne boasts some very fine stages, including an opera house (of international renown), the Palais de Beaulieu (home of the OSR) and the Salle Métropole, where the Orchestre de chambre de Lausanne can be found. Other interesting events include Septembre musical, a major classical music festival featuring prestigious artists; the Semaine internationale de piano et de musique de chambre, a high-caliber festival held in the sumptuous Eglise de la Chiésaz; the Bach Festival, an event focusing on the study and interpretation of Bach's works; and Musique à Saint-Sulpice, dedicated to chamber music.
Jazz
Switzerland proves that it's possible to be a small country and still occupy a major place in the jazz landscape. If the Swiss scene is so vigorous today, it's because it's based on a strong personality, forged over time. The genre was introduced to the country between the wars. In the 1930s, a scene developed and Swiss jazz began to shine beyond its borders, epitomized by saxophonist Teddy Stauffer (1909-1991). He paved the way for many Swiss musicians who would go on to achieve international success. These included Sylvie Courvoisier, a pianist exiled in the USA who recorded with such luminaries as John Zorn and Yusef Lateef, and George Gruntz, also a pianist, who worked with Dexter Gordon and Don Cherry, and was artistic director of Berlin's JazzFest for over twenty years. There are also international figures of improvised music such as pianist Irène Schweizer and percussionist Pierre Favre, authors of Dantesque works in which contemporary music is never far away. Today, it's saxophonist Christoph Erbet and his dark, abstract jazz that are taking Swiss jazz beyond its borders.
Festivals have also played a major role in the development of Swiss jazz. The Montreux Jazz Festival comes to mind first and foremost: since 1967, it has become a legendary gathering of the crème de la crème of jazz - and of music as a whole. A Swiss monument, a statue of Claude Nobs, its founder, has been erected in the grounds of the Montreux Palace. A few kilometers further along the lake, the Cully Jazz Festival is held every year. Founded in 1983, the event continues to focus on contemporary jazz, with top-notch line-ups in a splendid setting. Also worth noting is the Jazzonze+Festival, an event promoting improvised music and contemporary jazz. On the club front, the Chorus is perhaps the best in town, bringing together great musicians and unknown bands.
Dance
Contemporary dance is another of Lausanne's passions. The city is home to numerous companies, the most famous of which is of course the Béjart Ballet Lausanne. Although born in Marseilles, the dancer and choreographer Maurice Béjart (1927-2007) is for all Vaudois a true local personality. Moving to Lausanne at the end of his Brussels experience, Béjart disbanded the Ballet du XXe siècle to create the Béjart Ballet Lausanne. Five years later, he also founded the École-atelier Rudra-Béjart, which quickly became one of the world's most prestigious dance schools.
Lausanne's other great dancer and choreographer is Philippe Saire. A major figure in Switzerland, the artist created his own company in 1986, through which he participated (and still participates) in the development of contemporary dance in the country. Author of some thirty shows to date, he also founded the Théâtre Sévelin 36 in 1995, which has become a major venue in the city.
Every year since 1973, the city has hosted the Prix de Lausanne, a prestigious international competition for young dancers. Considered one of the best in the world, the prize has played a major role in associating Lausanne with the world of dance.
