The Musikkollegium Winterthur was founded in 1629 by a dozen young music lovers. They regularly met to play music together. This was the beginning of a long tradition: 1875 saw the foundation of the Stadtorchester Winterthur, which was placed under the aegis of the Musikkollegium. The first half of the 20th century was mainly characterised by the Orchestra's patron Werner Reinhart and its conductor Hermann Scherchen. Composers, like Richard Strauss, Igor Stravinsky, Othmar Schoeck or Anton von Webern composed on behalf of the Musikkollegium. However, Reinhart also managed to start a major collection of music manuscripts, letters and writings. The archives of his «Rychenberg Foundation» and the archives of the  Musikkollegium rank among the major private music collections in Europe – not least thanks to autograph manuscripts by Mozart, Puccini, and considerable correspondence by Brahms as well as a number of scores of major composers of the 20th century. On account of Reinhart's connections and his financial support, major performers of that epoch were regular guests in Winterthur. After Werner Reinhart's death in1951, the Villa Rychenberg with its surrounding park passed into the Musikkollegium's ownership. Today, the Conservatoire Winterthur and the Orchestra's office are located in this building and in the new construction Tössertobelstrasse.

Today, the Musikkollegium Winterthur counts some 1000 members and it is hard to imagine the city's cultural life without it. The association is also the authority responsible for the Winterthur Conservatoire. It is open to all interested parties and its members enjoy numerous advantages and benefits when going to a concert.

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