Unusually among European small orchestras, the Zürcher Kammerorchester (Zurich Chamber Orchestra, Orchestre de Chambre de Zurich) has gained international prominence for both historically oriented performances and those given on conventional instruments. The orchestra has attracted international conductors who have built its reputation through recordings and tours. The orchestra was founded in 1945 by Swiss conductor Edmond de Stoutz, who led the group until 1996, shortly before his death, and commissioned various new works, including Frank Martin's Polyptyque for violin and two small string orchestras. As early as 1964 in New York and 1967 in Boston, the ZKO was performing in the U.S. British conductor Howard Griffiths took over the conductorship in 1996, and Muhai Tang was conductor from 2006 to 2011. Tang was succeeded by early music specialist Roger Norrington, who built the Baroque orientation of the orchestra in concerts with recorder player Maurice Steger and others. In 2016, Norrington was succeeded by violinist Daniel Hope, the first conductor to lead the group from his own instrument rather than from the podium. The Zürcher Kammerorchester plays Baroque music on gut strings and with historical bows. Its repertoire stretches forwards to the present day, and it has also undertaken collaborations with jazz, folk, and popular ensembles. The group mounts several special concert series for children and has established programs for the training and promotion of young musicians. The ZKO has a large catalog of recordings, mostly on the Novalis, Berlin Classics, CPO, and the Deutsche Grammophon labels; on the latter, they backed Hope on his Journey to Mozart album in 2018. It is a two-time winner of the Echo Klassik "Klassik ohne Grenzen" (Classical Without Borders) award. The ZKO has garnered regular invitations to international festivals, guest appearances in Europe's major music centers, and concert tours on almost every continent.
