Aiming to promote classical music in Valais, the Association Valéik has decided to extend its activities to offer employment to as many freelance classical musicians affected by the COVID-19 pandemic as possible. The Valéik Philharmonik Orchestra, a new professional ensemble build around a core of local professionals, was therefore created and placed under the artistic direction of the young conductor Laurent Zufferey, who recently distinguished himself at the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich.
Its settings varying from a string quintet to a full symphony orchestra, Valéik Philharmonik is an all-round ensemble allowing for a wide range of repertoire aiming to develop strong relationships with the local artistic organisations. It mainly includes musicians from Valais with rich orchestral experience, alumni of the Haute Ecole de Musique from Sion, and talented students with brilliant careers ahead of them. The ensemble’s 2021 – 2022 inaugural season, “Peuples”, will rediscover the roots of popular classical music, exploring the serenades of Elgar and Dvorak, or showcasing the hidden facets of European folk music with Bartók and Janacek.
