Premiere of David Philip Hefti's Im Streiflicht with the Zurich Chamber Orchestra
The Zurich Chamber Orchestra presents the world premiere of the new work “Im Streiflicht (In Raking Light) – Resonances for String Orchestra” (2026) by David Philip Hefti. The composition is written for string orchestra and will be premiered on 5 May 2026 at 7:30 pm at Tonhalle Zurich, followed by a second performance on 6 May 2026 at 7:30 pm at Theater Chur. The work unfolds a multilayered soundscape in which aftersounds, resonances, and subtle refractions of light take center stage. Sonic layers overlap, emerge, and fade, creating a musical space shaped by delicate transitions and shifting perspectives.
The premiere performances will be given by the Zurich Chamber Orchestra under the direction of Willi Zimmermann. Closely connected to the ensemble’s distinctive sound culture, the work develops a refined spectrum of colors and textures, oscillating between transparency and density. Im Streiflicht reflects on the persistence of sound in space and on the perception of time as a suspended, continuously transforming process.
Tuesday, 5 May 2026, 7:30 pm, Tonhalle Zurich
Wednesday, 6 May 2026, 7:30 pm, Theater Chur
Further information and tickets can be found here for Zurich and Chur.
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Premiere of David Philip Hefti's In fliessenden Räumen
The Camerata Variabile presents, as part of its concert series “Fata Morgana”, the world premiere of the new chamber work “In Flowing Spaces – Three Scenes for Flute, (Bass) Clarinet, Violin and Violoncello” (2026) by David Philip Hefti. The work is conceived for the specific instrumentation of Camerata Variabile and will be premiered in a total of four performances. Its musical conception comprises three interconnected scenes – interwoven, luminous and restless – in which sonic processes continuously transform and reorganize themselves. At the core lies the idea of a constantly shifting sound space in which lines overlap, dissolve, and re-emerge in altered form.
The performances will be given by Camerata Variabile with Isabelle Schnöller (flute), Karin Dornbusch (clarinet/bass clarinet), Helena Winkelman (violin), and Stéphanie Meyer (violoncello). The concert series places the new work in a programmatic context alongside compositions by Mel Bonis, Paul Schoenfield, and Louis Spohr, bringing together diverse aesthetic perspectives into a multifaceted sonic panorama.
Thursday, 30 April 2026, 7:30 pm, Conservatory Bern
Friday, 1 May 2026, 7:30 pm, St. Peter Church Zurich
Saturday, 2 May 2026, 7:00 pm, Paulus Church Basel
Sunday, 3 May 2026, 5:00 pm, Rathauslaube Schaffhausen
Further information on the concerts / tickets.
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World Premiere of David Philip Hefti’s Aus Licht gewoben @ Elbphilharmonie
On March 2, 2026, the new composition Aus Licht gewoben – reflections for violin and cello by David Philip Hefti will receive its world premiere at the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg. The work for violin and violoncello was written especially for the distinguished musicians Hellen Weiß (violin) and Gabriel Schwabe (cello), who will bring it to life for the first time on this occasion.
Aus Licht gewoben unfolds as a multi-layered dialogue between the two string instruments. Through finely nuanced timbres, shimmering textures, and densely interwoven motifs, a musical fabric emerges that is marked by both transparency and intensity. Light is not merely a metaphor here, but a compositional principle: radiant overtone spectra, fragile lines, and energetic condensations permeate the work, shaping an arc of tension and poetic depth.
The close artistic collaboration with Hellen Weiß and Gabriel Schwabe served as both the starting point and inspiration for the composition. Both musicians rank among the most distinguished interpreters of their generation and are renowned for interpretative precision, expressive depth, and tonal refinement – qualities that find a particularly vivid expression in Aus Licht gewoben.
With its premiere at the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, the work enters its first public resonance space in one of Europe’s leading concert halls. The performance marks another significant milestone in David Philip Hefti’s contemporary chamber music oeuvre.
Further information about the work can be found here.
Further information about the concert can be found here.
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David Philip Hefti @ Pierre Boulez Saal Berlin
On December 6, 2024, the string quartet of the Staatskapelle Berlin will present the sixth string quartet Five Scenes for Gustav by David Philip Hefti at the Pierre Boulez Saal Berlin. The “Five Scenes for Gustav” were composed as preludes to Gustav Mahler's five “Rückert Lieder”, in Hefti's arrangement for high voice and string quartet. In this concert, Hefti's sixth quartet and his Mahler arrangement will be performed alternately, as originally planned. The soloist will be soprano Mojca Erdmann.
Since his collaboration with the Scharoun Ensemble, Hefti has cultivated a young but intensive artistic friendship with Wolfram Brandl, leader of the Staatskapelle Berlin string quartet, which is based on the successful premiere of his octet “Des Zaubers Spuren” at the Zermatt Music Festival and was performed for the first time in Germany on the occasion of the Scharoun Ensemble's 40th anniversary concert at the Berlin Philharmonie in September 2023.
You can find all information here.
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David Philip Hefti @ BerlinPhil’s Digital Concert Hall
On 27 September 2023, the German premiere of David Philip Heftis octet Des Zaubers Spuren took place on the occasion of the Scharoun Ensemble's 40th anniversary concert at the Berlin Philharmonie. The work was recorded and can be viewed and heard at the Berlin Philharmonic's Digital Concert Hall.
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