Dresdner Philharmonie

One of Germany’s oldest orchestras, the Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra (Dresdner Philharmonie) has earned international respect for its performance standards. With the motto “Music for All,” the orchestra has dedicated itself to music education and community outreach. Dresden’s Kulturpalast has been its home since 2017, but they also perform at other venues in the city. As of the season 25/26 its chief conductor is Sir Donald Runnicles.

Self-confident and hungry for music: in 1870, Dresden citizens took the initiative and founded the history of the Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra. They gave the Stadtkapelle the opportunity to hold concerts in their trade house and were themselves attentive audiences. From 1885 onwards there were regular Philharmonic concerts until the orchestra gave itself its present name in 1923. In the first decades, composers such as Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Dvořák and Strauss stood at the podium with their own works. Paul van Kempen shaped it into a first-class ensemble from 1934 onwards. After him, Kurt Masur (honorary conductor since 1994), Marek Janowski, Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos and Michael Sanderling, among others, left their mark on the orchestra. The orchestra promotes top young musicians in the Kurt Masur Academy. In 2022, the Dresden Philharmonic was featured in the multi-Academy Award-nominated movie Tár.

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