The Basel Chamber Orchestra was founded in 1984 as Serenata Basel by graduates from a range of Swiss Music Colleges. By 1998, Johannes Schläfli had become conductor. In 1999 it was renamed to the Basel Chamber Orchestra. Since then the chamber orchestra has developed its programme under the leadership of its own concertmasters and guests, as well as in cooperation with selected soloists like Maria João Pires, Sol Gabetta, Nuria Rial, Christoph Prégardien, Erwin Schrott, Khatia Buniatishvili and Patricia Kopatchinskaja, as well as conductors like Trevor Pinnock, Mario Venzago, Heinz Holliger, René Jacobs and Christophe Rousset. Since 2015/16, Giovanni Antonini, with whom the Basel Chamber Orchestra has had a close artistic relationship for years, has been the Principle Guest Conductor.