SONIC MATTER Festival 2026｜26 Feb –1 Mar｜Zurich
Swiss experimental music in an international network
SONIC MATTER is a festival that has been taking place in Zurich since 2021 and combines different artistic approaches in the field of sound research and music. It sees itself as a platform for new, experimental music and brings acts such as MAGDA DROZD, ENSEMBLE VORTEX, ANNE GILLOT or DIMITRI PERROT to the stage. Although the scene is still a niche one, it has been taking place in Zurich since the 1980s at venues such as the Kunstraum Walcheturm and is now represented at festivals such as SONIC MATTER and at the Institute for Computer Music and Sound Technology (ICST) at the Zurich University of the Arts.
With the SWISS MUSIC @ home programme, FONDATION SUISA, in collaboration with Pro Helvetia, invites international experts to Switzerland to network directly with local musicians and event organisers at various partner festivals. At the end of February 2026, the Zurich festival SONIC MATTER provided the setting for this: thirteen invited guests – mainly festival organisers from Europe and the Middle East – got to know the experimental Swiss scene.
This is exactly where the SWISS MUSIC @ home programme came in: The thirteen invited international representatives were given a compact insight into this lively scene, visited the Institute for Computer Music and Sound Technology (ICST) and other central cultural venues, and learned about current projects and working methods on site. In addition, on Friday they took part in speed meetings with Swiss festival organisers at the Zurich cultural venue ‘Institut’, followed by a joint lunch.
Informal encounters – such as a networking aperitif at the Kunstraum Walcheturm with invited Swiss musicians – provided additional space for discussions beyond purely booking-related issues. Participants were also able to explore the festival programme according to their own interests and discover Swiss acts directly in a concert and performance context.
The feedback was positive, with participants highlighting the pleasant group size, the open atmosphere and the attentive support provided by the festival team. SWISS MUSIC @ home proved to be an effective format at SONIC MATTER 2026 for raising the international profile of the Swiss experimental music scene and promoting long-term contacts between local and international players.
The next planned ‘SWISS MUSIC @ home’ partnership in the jazz sector is Cully Jazz in April 2026.
⚠️ It is not possible to apply for SWISS MUSIC @ home:
Participants are selected and invited on an individual basis depending on the context.
SWISS MUSIC @ SONIC MATTER 2026 in pictures:
