Essen Philharmonic Orchestra
The orchestra, which has significantly shaped Essen's reputation as a city of music, was founded in 1899. It soon acquired a new concert hall, the Saalbau, which Richard Strauss inaugurated in 1904 with a performance of his "Sinfonia domestica." Other outstanding musical events of that era included the world premieres of Gustav Mahler's Sixth Symphony, conducted by the composer himself (1906), and Max Reger's "Böcklin Suite" (1913). Around the turn of the millennium, the Saalbau, which had been severely damaged in World War II and rebuilt early on, had to be closed again before being reopened in 2004 as the Philharmonie Essen after extensive renovations.
The Essen Philharmonic Orchestra has served as chief conductors of the following orchestras: Georg Hendrik Witte (until 1911), Hermann Abendroth (1911-1915), Max Fiedler (1915-1933), Johannes Schüler (1933-1936), Albert Bittner (1936-1943), Gustav König (1943-1975), Heinz Wallberg (1975-1991), and Wolf-Dieter Hauschild (1991-1997). Stefan Soltesz (1997-2013) led the Essen Philharmonic to the "Orchestra of the Year" award in 2003 and 2008. Since the 2013/2014 season, Tomáš Netopil has been the General Music Director of the Essen Philharmonic.
Heinz Wallberg †, chief conductor from 1975 to 1991.
The appearances of distinguished guest conductors with the Essen Orchestra also attest to its reputation – past guest conductors include Otto Klemperer, Rudolf Kempe, Hans Knappertsbusch, Bernard Haitink, Günter Wand, Sir Yehudi Menuhin, and Krzysztof Penderecki, while recent guest conductors include Sir Roger Norrington, Thomas Hengelbrock, Marc Minkowski, Vladimir Fedoseyev, Gerd Albrecht, Michael Schønwandt, Jiří Kout, Jesús López-Cobos, Andrea Marcon, Michael Sanderling, Philippe Herreweghe , and Giacomo Sagripanti. This season, HK Gruber, Henrik Nánási, Jun Märkl, John Axelrod, Richard Egarr, and, once again, Philippe Herreweghe and Giacomo Sagripanti will present themselves to the Essen audience.
The Essen Philharmonic Orchestra performed in Gütersloh, the composer's birthplace, as part of the Henze Project of the RUHR.2010 European Capital of Culture. The orchestra has also appeared at the Semperoper during the Dresden Music Festival, as well as on several occasions at the Richard Strauss Festival in Garmisch-Partenkirchen and at the Concertgebouw Amsterdam. In September 2017, the orchestra will perform a concert at the International Dvořák Festival in Prague's Rudolfinum.
In addition to their regular opera performances at the Aalto Theatre, the Essen Philharmonic Orchestra plays more than 30 concerts per season: symphony concerts, concerts for children and young people, and special events. Furthermore, the musicians present their own chamber music series in the foyer of the Aalto Theatre and in the Philharmonie. And at the KlassikLounge in the Grillo Theatre, musicians from the Essen Philharmonic Orchestra meet with guests for unusual live performances.
The Essen Philharmonic Orchestra has served as chief conductors of the following orchestras: Georg Hendrik Witte (until 1911), Hermann Abendroth (1911-1915), Max Fiedler (1915-1933), Johannes Schüler (1933-1936), Albert Bittner (1936-1943), Gustav König (1943-1975), Heinz Wallberg (1975-1991), and Wolf-Dieter Hauschild (1991-1997). Stefan Soltesz (1997-2013) led the Essen Philharmonic to the "Orchestra of the Year" award in 2003 and 2008. Since the 2013/2014 season, Tomáš Netopil has been the General Music Director of the Essen Philharmonic.
Heinz Wallberg †, chief conductor from 1975 to 1991.
The appearances of distinguished guest conductors with the Essen Orchestra also attest to its reputation – past guest conductors include Otto Klemperer, Rudolf Kempe, Hans Knappertsbusch, Bernard Haitink, Günter Wand, Sir Yehudi Menuhin, and Krzysztof Penderecki, while recent guest conductors include Sir Roger Norrington, Thomas Hengelbrock, Marc Minkowski, Vladimir Fedoseyev, Gerd Albrecht, Michael Schønwandt, Jiří Kout, Jesús López-Cobos, Andrea Marcon, Michael Sanderling, Philippe Herreweghe , and Giacomo Sagripanti. This season, HK Gruber, Henrik Nánási, Jun Märkl, John Axelrod, Richard Egarr, and, once again, Philippe Herreweghe and Giacomo Sagripanti will present themselves to the Essen audience.
The Essen Philharmonic Orchestra performed in Gütersloh, the composer's birthplace, as part of the Henze Project of the RUHR.2010 European Capital of Culture. The orchestra has also appeared at the Semperoper during the Dresden Music Festival, as well as on several occasions at the Richard Strauss Festival in Garmisch-Partenkirchen and at the Concertgebouw Amsterdam. In September 2017, the orchestra will perform a concert at the International Dvořák Festival in Prague's Rudolfinum.
In addition to their regular opera performances at the Aalto Theatre, the Essen Philharmonic Orchestra plays more than 30 concerts per season: symphony concerts, concerts for children and young people, and special events. Furthermore, the musicians present their own chamber music series in the foyer of the Aalto Theatre and in the Philharmonie. And at the KlassikLounge in the Grillo Theatre, musicians from the Essen Philharmonic Orchestra meet with guests for unusual live performances.
