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The Sinfonieorchester Basel, in various incarnations that date back to the 19th century and even earlier, has long had a strong international reputation and gave the premieres of several major works in the classical repertory. With the exception of Mario Venzago (1997-2003), all of its conductors since the orchestra took its current name have come from outside Switzerland.

The modern Sinfonieorchester Basel (known in German-speaking realms as SOB) was formed in 1997 from the merger of two orchestras, the Basler Sinfonie-Orchester and the Radio Sinfonieorchester Basel. The former of these dated back to 1876, when the group took up residence at the new Stadtcasino Basel, where the current orchestra still performs most of its concerts. That orchestra, in turn, had roots in the Collegium Musicum Basel, first formed in 1692. The Basler Sinfonie-Orchester's first conductor, Alfred Volkland, was succeeded in 1902 by Hermann Suter, whose tastes ran toward modern music and who programmed the premieres of works by Bartók, Bohuslav Martinů, and Arthur Honegger (Pacific 231), often in the face of audience opposition. Both Richard Strauss and Gustav Mahler conducted their works with the orchestra in the early 20th century. The orchestra grew in size and professionalism under subsequent conductors Felix Weingartner and Hans Ziegler, who led the group for four decades. An orientation toward contemporary music remained; French modernist Pierre Boulez conducted the group in the 1960s.

The Basler Sinfonie-Orchester and the Radio Sinfonieorchester Basel, which had been formed by the same administrative bodies, were joined together in 1997 under financial pressure to form the new Sinfonieorchester Basel. Its first conductor was Venzago, who was tasked with managing the difficult transition. He was succeeded by Marko Letonja (2003-2006) and then Dennis Russell Davies, who turned the group in the direction of American music and new minimalist repertory generally, including the works of Philip Glass. The group continued to suffer financial difficulties resulting in part from its complex administrative structure; these are explored in unusual detail on the orchestra's website. However, in the 2010s, the orchestra has drawn consistently strong audiences to its concerts and its operatic and ballet appearances at the Theater Basel. Since 2016, the orchestra's conductor has been Ivor Bolton. The orchestra returned to a renovated Stadtcasino Basel in 2020.

The Sinfonieorchester Basel has a large recording catalog, much of it on Novalis, CPO, and, most recently, Sony Classical; the orchestra has also operated its own label. In 2019, the orchestra issued the album Luciano Berio: Transformation on Sony Classical. ~ James Manheim

Like so many conductors today, Ivor Bolton has established a parallel career as a soloist, in his case, as a harpsichordist. On the podium, he is better known in the opera house, particularly for his incisive interpretations of Baroque operas by Handel, Purcell, and others, as well as later operas by Mozart, Bellini, and Rossini. His orchestral repertory, though also divulging a bias for early music, extends into the Romantic and modern periods, encompassing works by Mendelssohn, Franz Berwald, and James MacMillan. As a harpsichordist, Bolton has garnered acclaim, particularly for his performances (and recordings) of J.S. Bach's harpsichord concertos. In 2024, he led the Mozarteum Orchestra on the recording Bruckner: Symphonie in D-moll 'Nullte', WAB 100.

Bolton was born in Blackrod, Lancashire, England, on May 17, 1958. He studied music at Cambridge University (Clare College) and the Royal College of Music in London. After graduation, he added a further year of study at the National Opera Studio in London. During that year, he earned his first important post as the conductor of the chamber choir Schola Cantorum of Oxford University. In 1984, Bolton founded an instrumental ensemble, the St. James Baroque Players. Under his leadership, the group grew in stature and produced a number of popular recordings, including the 1996 Charpentier Te Deum on Teldec. Bolton stepped down as the music director in 2005 and was succeeded by James O'Donnell. He served as the music director of the English Touring Opera for one season (1991-1992).

In 1982, Bolton began a long association with the Glyndebourne Festival, eventually becoming the music director of the company's touring opera for five seasons beginning in 1992. During his tenure with the Glyndebourne Touring Opera, Bolton made several important operatic debuts, including at the Bavarian State Opera (1994) and Covent Garden (1995). He was also busy in the strictly instrumental world, serving as the principal conductor of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra (1994-1996). In the new century, Bolton has been just as active. From 2004 to 2016, he was the conductor of the Mozarteum Orchestra of Salzburg, serving as conductor laureate since 2016. He has been busy at the major operatic venues, including the 2004 Salzburg Festival (with Anna Netrebko singing Giulietta in Bellini's I Capuleti e i Montecchi). Bolton also expanded his opera repertoire by conducting Britten's Billy Budd during the 2010-2011 season at De Nederlandse Opera. He has been the chief conductor of the Dresden Festival Orchestra since 2012. In 2015, he became the artistic director of the Teatro Real in Madrid and was named the next chief conductor of the Basel Symphony Orchestra, beginning with the 2016-2017 season. Bolton's contracts with both of those latter organizations were extended through the 2024-2025 season, with Teatro Real announcing that Bolton's tenure will come to an end at that time.

Bolton has amassed a sizable discography spread over several labels, including Deutsche Grammophon, RCA, and ASV, among others. His recording catalog encompasses symphonic and operatic repertory, among which is a complete cycle of Bruckner symphonies, with the Mozarteum Orchestra on Oehms Classics, and operas such as Antonio Cesti's L'Orontea and Handel's Giulio Cesare in Egitto. In 2020, he was heard on Secret Fauré III, with Benjamin Appl and Katja Stuber, and Joseph Haydn: Il Ritorno di Tobia, once again leading the Mozarteum Orchestra. In 2023, at the King's Birthday Honours, Bolton was named a Commander of the Order of the British Empire. The following year, he led the Mozarteum Orchestra on a recording of Bruckner's Symphony in D minor. ~ Robert Cummings & Keith Finke