Camerata Zürich is among the leading chamber orchestras in Switzerland and has placed special emphasis on creating a body of contemporary Swiss music. The group also performs traditional repertory from Switzerland and beyond in its concerts.

Camerata Zürich was formed in 1957 by conductor Räto Tschupp and his wife, Els Tschupp-van Gastel. Their aim was to create a space in concert halls for new Swiss compositions, and over the years, the group has commissioned more than 100 of them. The orchestra generally has from 16 to 20 members, all professional string players; it can be supplemented with further string or wind players as needed according to the repertory being performed. The Camerata has had only four music directors over its long history; Räto Tschupp remained chief conductor until his death in 2002. He was succeeded by Marc Kissóczy (2002-2009), Thomas Demenga (2011-2018), and then Igor Karsko (2019-), who had previously served as the orchestra's concertmaster. The Camerata Zürich performs an annual season of four concerts at the Tonhalle Zürich concert hall; these concerts are repeated for broadcast on Radio Zürich.

The group's recording catalog stretches well back into the LP era; one of its first albums was devoted to the Elegie, Op. 36, of Othmar Schoeck. The Camerata Zürich made several recordings for the Guild label, including one of 20th century concertos for flute and clarinet (issued in 2003, it was Tschupp's last recording). The orchestra has emphasized 20th and 21st century music, commissioning new works widely, including in a composition competition for children and adolescents held every two years. The group has also sought to program forgotten music, much of it Swiss, of the Classical and Romantic eras. Some of its concerts are multimedia productions that incorporate dance, jazz, or other media. In 2021, the Camerata Zürich made its debut recording on the prestigious ECM New Series label, and its first with Karsko as conductor, recording an orchestral arrangement of Janácek's On an Overgrown Path. ~ James Manheim, Rovi