Chairmanship of the OSR Foundation Board

Charlotte de Senarclens was unanimously re-elected President of the Board of Trustees of the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande on 18 June for the next three seasons, starting in 2021. On the occasion of her unanimous re-election, Charlotte de Senarclens took part in a question-and-answer session.

Tell us about your role as Chairman. What does it involve for you and what are your priorities?

Chairing the Foundation Board of the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande means above all working collegially with the members of the Board to set the broad guidelines and, above all, to provide the teams with the resources they need to fulfil their missions as effectively as possible and achieve our objectives: to offer as many people as possible symphonic and operatic performances of the highest quality and to raise Geneva's profile internationally. Thanks to my position, I have the pleasure of attending OSR concerts and public events on a regular basis, which gives me great pleasure; I always enjoy seeing our artists on stage.

The OSR has just finished a very fine season in terms of attendance. Can you tell us more about it?

The most important thing for the OSR and its teams is to reach out to all audiences, to renew them of course, but above all to build loyalty. It's very touching to know that some subscribers have had their seats for several generations. This strong bond with the public is the raison d'être of the musicians of the OSR and full houses, with an average attendance of 95% this season, are the best reward of all!

What were the highlights of last season for you?

I immediately think of our move into the building adjoining the Victoria Hall. The work we've done has enabled us to enlarge the backstage area for the comfort of all the artists who perform there. It has completely changed the lives of our teams. This project was carried out in collaboration with the City of Geneva, thanks to the extraordinary generosity of a patron.

A second highlight is our decision to reserve the post of assistant conductor at the OSR for female talent only. This strong gesture is part of a century-old tradition of support for young artists; it will, I hope, contribute in the future to giving a more important place to female conductors in Switzerland and internationally.

How are the Geneva authorities involved in the life of the OSR?

Our supervisory authorities, whose support and confidence are essential to the smooth running of our institution, are very concerned by the role that our orchestra plays in Geneva. My position as President regularly brings me into contact with politicians, and I feel a great deal of pride when they talk about the OSR. It's very important to be able to count on public and private support, which has been there for more than 100 years, enabling French-speaking Switzerland to have one of the finest orchestras in Europe.

The works chosen for the OSR's seasons are eclectic in every way. If you had to name your favourite work, what would it be?

It's hard to choose one work over another; I love the OSR in all repertoires. If I had a crazy dream, it would be the "immortal" Martha Argerich accompanying us every season!
That would be absolutely incredible!