Switzerland’s most energetic jazz collective is swapping the Alps for the Eastern Cape.
Fischermanns Orchestra, a nine-piece ensemble known for its genre-defying street jazz, will light up at St Joseph’s Preparatory & College in East London on Thursday as part of their Space Revolution Tour 2025.
The band kicked off their SA adventure at the Joy of Jazz festival in Johannesburg on September 26 and 28, before taking their tour to Durban, Gqeberha and Cape Town earlier this week.
Now, it’s the metro’s turn to catch a performance that has been described as part concert, part carnival, and entirely unforgettable.
Formed 15 years ago in Lucerne, Switzerland, Fischermanns Orchestra grew out of a loose group of musicians who were as comfortable playing in the streets as in formal concert halls.
Over time, they honed a sound that blends improvisational jazz with punk energy, electronic layering and influences from across the globe.
Their reputation has taken them to more than 300 stages on four continents, from European festivals to Asian street parades, earning them a reputation for fearless performance and infectious joy.
With eight albums to their name, the band has built a loyal following of fans who never quite know what to expect next.
“This is our first time performing in South Africa, and it has been a long-time wish,” the band said.
“We’ve spoken for years about making this tour happen, and now we finally get to connect with our South African audience.”
For East London audiences, the visit is more than just another international act passing through.
Live music lovers in the city are used to travelling to Johannesburg or Cape Town for global names.
Having an ensemble of this calibre perform in their own backyard offers something rare — a chance to see world-class music in a local, more intimate setting.
“For us, music is about breaking barriers and reaching people where they are, whether in major cities or smaller coastal towns,” bandleader Thomas Reist said.
“East London’s cultural diversity and love of live music make it a natural fit for our global outlook.”
The orchestra’s line-up includes Reist on bass drum and drums, co-leader Josephine Nagorsnik on trombone, vocals and electronics, as well as Samuel Hopfengärtner (trumpet), Lino Blöchlinger (alto sax), Sebastian Strinning (tenor sax), Simon Petermann (trombone), Elia Aregger (guitar), Linus Meier (electric bass) and Reto Eisenring (snare drum and drums).
Each member brings a different musical tradition and training, creating a sound that feels both tightly orchestrated and wildly spontaneous.
They describe their music as “a masterful intertwining of jazz improvisation, ambient textures, and world influences with classical orchestration”.
The result, they say, is a wave of sound that can switch from meditative and atmospheric to a brass-fuelled explosion in the space of a few beats.
“Expect joy, connection, and maybe even a little awe,” the band said.
“This tour features brand-new compositions written especially for the orchestra, and we can’t wait to share them on South African stages.”
For East Londoners, that means an evening of supersonic free jazz, layered with touches of electro-world, South American rhythms, African tones and Eastern European folk traditions — a sound that doesn’t just cross borders but seems to dissolve them altogether.
Tickets for the East London concert range from R60 to R700 and are available through Webtickets.
Daily Dispatch
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.