Sacher, Paul (1906-1999)

Swiss conductor. In 1926 he founded the Basel Chamber Orchestra, for which he commissioned a succession of works from contemporary composers including Bartók's Divertimento (1939), Stravinsky's Concerto in D (1946), and Boulez's Messagesquisse (1977).

Sacher studied with Karl Nef (1873-1935) and Felix Weingartner. In 1933 he also founded the distinguished chamber ensemble Schola Cantorum Basiliensis. He also established, in 1973, the Paul Sacher Foundation in Basel - a collection of scores, manuscripts, and books of modern composers.

Other composers from whom he commissioned works for the Basel Chamber Orchestra were Fortner, Henze, Hindemith, Honegger, Ibert, Křenek, Martin, Martinů, Malipiero, Roussel, Strauss, and Tippett.