VOLTA Kammermusikfest was founded in 2024 by violinist Ayla Sahin and violist Alinka Rowe, whose musical relationship began when they first played chamber music together at the age of twelve. What started as childhood friendship has grown into a lifelong artistic partnership and a shared love for chamber music.

More than a festival, VOLTA is a meeting place and a space where chamber music can be experienced in its most intimate and transformative form.

The word volta carries different layers of meaning. 

In music, it signals a turn, a return. In poetry, it marks a rhetorical shift and the transformation of a thought or feeling. Volta evokes a sense of renewal and change, a shift in the way we listen and see.

The Voltahalle also embodies this concept. Once a coal storage centre, it has transformed into a striking and unusual space that invites creativity and culture - the ideal place to discover music anew.

We bring together a community of world-class artists, full of friendship and history, all with strong ties to Basel and its cultural life. What unites us at VOLTA Kammermusikfest is a love of chamber music and the importance of creating meaningful connections, both between musicians and with our audience.

VOLTA's purpose has always stemmed from the belief that classical music should feel relevant and alive for all generations. Our programmes celebrate the great masterpieces of the chamber music tradition and place them alongside works by today's composers, presenting the repertoire in a way that feels fresh, innovative, and connected to our time.