Swiss Jazz Orchestra, founded in 2003 in Bern, Switzerland, emerged from the Swiss Jazz School’s university big band and was formally organized by George Robert and later Ulrich Althaus. The ensemble began performing weekly Monday concerts at the Bierhübeli, establishing a regular program that showcased a rotating lineup of local and international musicians. In 2005, the group released its first live recording, Live with Pepe Lienhard. Subsequent albums include Paul Klee (2006), Buebetröim Vol. 1 (2007), Tanzendes Licht (2008), Close Encounter (2009), Lucidity (2011), Live@Jazzfestival Bern (2014), Sincerely Yours (2014), Pools (2016), Swiss Jazz Orchestra & Guillermo Klein (2019), and Swiss Jazz Orchestra & Christoph Irniger: The Music of Pilgrim (2022). They also collaborated with artists such as Joshua Redman, Paquito D’Rivera, and Guillermo Klein. The orchestra received the Culture Prize of the Burgergemeinde Bern in 2010 for its contribution to the Swiss jazz scene.
