Symphony Les Echanges

This new series begins with a striking moment in Switzerland’s sonic history. For the 1964 Swiss National Exhibition in Lausanne, composer Rolph Liebermann unveiled Symphonie Les Échanges — an extraordinary orchestra of 156 automated office machines. Typewriters clattered, calculating machines whirred, cash registers chimed, teleprinters clicked, horns blared, and telephone sets rang in precise coordination. Conceived as a celebration of Swiss trade, banking, and logistics on a global scale, the piece reflected the nation’s ambition to present itself as modern, forward-looking, and powered by technological innovation. Gilles Aubry invites cultural anthropologist Patricia Jäggi to a listening session that weaves together sound, national identity, race, and technology — opening new ground for future conversations on “Sonic Swissness” as part of this series.