Symphony Orchestra

Seitliche Ansicht eines Orchesters auf der Bühne, rechts im Bild der Dirigent.
(Foto: Laura Brichta)

The largest sound body

The Symphony Orchestra of the HfMDK consists mainly of students of the Bachelor and Master Artistic Instrumental Education programs with an orchestral instrument as their main subject. The goal of orchestral training is to comprehensively prepare students for the professional field of orchestral musicianship. Under professional conditions, orchestral work at the HfMDK teaches essential and differentiated skills as well as the joy of playing in an orchestra. Through the diverse repertoire selection, students are exposed to characteristic compositions from all eras and styles of Western symphonic music in the course of their studies.

There are usually two major orchestral projects per semester, which culminate in concerts or a video or audio production. In addition, wind exercises and repertoire rehearsals are offered as one-day projects. Projects in cooperation with the university choirs take place at regular intervals. Opera productions are also realized in cooperation with the vocal department of the HfMDK.

Projects and rehearsal schedules

Projects and rehearsal schedules

Übersicht über die Projekte des WiSe 2024/25

Stand 15.08.2024

 

Projektplan Dvořák-Nacht 18.11.-23.11.24

Stand 25.10.24

Projektplan Liebe 06.01.-11.01.25

Stand 25.10.24

Christoph Altstaedt unterrichtet eine Studentin vor dem Ensemble im Dirigieren
(Foto: Laura Brichta)

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Students of conducting classes and church music lead a student instrumental ensemble and gain valuable practical experience - this is the conducting studio at the HfMDK. Dates take place every semester for which interested instrumentalists are sought. Participation can be credited in the elective area.

Concerts

Concerts

Concerts

Sa
23.11.
Sa
11.01.
Tu
28.01.
Th
20.02.

Orchestra on the road

Orchestra on the road

On the road with the orchestra

Artistic director

Artistic director
Zu sehen ist Michael Sanderling, Professor für Violoncello und künstlerischer Leiter des Symphonieorchesters der HfMDK.
Michael Sanderling, Professor of Violoncello and Artistic Director of the HfMDK Symphony Orchestra.(Foto: Marco Borggreve)

Michael Sanderling has been chief conductor of the Luzerner Sinfonieorchester since 2021. His appointment followed a successful collaboration over many years, with a common goal of further developing the orchestra in late Romantic repertoire such as Bruckner, Mahler and Strauss. 

Under Michael Sanderling’s direction, the Luzerner Sinfonieorchester has toured Asia, South America and Germany. Their performance of Shostakovich’s 10th symphony at the Wiener Konzerthaus, accompanied by William Kentridge’s animated film ‘Oh to Believe in Another World’, attracted particular attention. This work had previously been premiered at the KKL Luzern and the Pompeii Theatrum Mundi festival.

Since the start of his tenure as chief conductor, several highly-acclaimed CDs have been released. These include a Brahms cycle released in 2023 by Warner Classics, with the four symphonies as well as his ‘fifth’ – a piano quartet orchestrated by Arnold Schoenberg – and a recording of the Schumann and Grieg piano concertos with Elisabeth Leonskaja.

As a guest conductor, Michael Sanderling directs leading orchestras around the world. These include the Berlin Philharmonic, the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, the Orchestre de Paris, the Philharmonia Orchestra in London, the NHK Symphony Orchestra, the Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich, the Wiener Symphoniker, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra and the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra.

From 2011 to 2019 Michael Sanderling was chief conductor of the Dresden Philharmonic. During this time he raised the orchestra’s profile, establishing it as one of Germany’s leading ensembles. He performed with them both on the concert stage in Dresden and on numerous international tours, and recordings of the complete symphonies of Beethoven and Shostakovich for Sony Classical are a testament to this. Prior to this he was chief conductor of the Kammerakademie Potsdam, where he was artistic director from 2006 to 2011.

In addition to the recordings mentioned above, Michael Sanderling’s extensive discography includes recordings of major works by Dvořák, Schumann, Prokofiev and Tchaikovsky, as well as works for cello and orchestra by Bloch, Korngold, Bruch and Ravel with Edgar Moreau and the Luzerner Sinfonieorchester.

In 2011 he conducted the new production of Sergei Prokofiev’s ‘War and Peace’ at Cologne Opera, for which he was voted ‘Conductor of the Year’ by Opernwelt magazine.

Michael Sanderling is a passionate supporter of young musicians. He teaches at the Frankfurt University of Music and Performing Arts, and also works regularly with the Schleswig-Holstein Festival Orchestra. From 2003 to 2013 he was chief conductor of youth orchestra the Deutsche Streicherphilharmonie.

Guest conductorships and previous cooperation projects

In 2007, the orchestra performed a Beethoven program at the 1st Limburg Orchestra Festival and at the Bad Hersfeld Festival. In the same year, it traveled to concerts in Frankfurt's twin city Guangzhou in China. For the 2009 fall concert, the Society of Friends and Sponsors of the HfMDK supported a rehearsal phase and a concert of the symphony orchestra with a renowned conductor for the first time. The chief conductor of the Konzerthausorchester Berlin, Lothar Zagrosek, was won for this cooperation.

In the summer semester of 2010, a program consisting of the "Concerto Grosso for three cellos and orchestra" as well as the "Adagietto" by Penderecki himself and the 9th Symphony by Dmitri Shostakovich was developed under the direction of Krzystof Penderecki. The great success of Sebastian Weigle's work phase with the Symphony Orchestra in February 2011 proved the concept right.

Further projects under guest conductors took place in January 2014 with the then GMD of the Pfalztheater Kaiserslautern, Uwe Sandner, and in June 2014 with José Luis Gomez, principal conductor of the Teatro Sociale di Como. Under the direction of Clemens Heil, the Symphony Orchestra of the HfMDK performed Philippe Hurel's "Flash-Back" and "A Short Ride in a Fast Machine" by John Adams in the New Music Night of the Hochschule in the summer semester 2017.

Information notices for students

Information notices for students

Orchesterpflicht

Orchesterordnung

Stand: 04.03.2024

Merkblatt Orchestereinteilung und Ersatzleistungen

Questions & Contact

Questions & Contact

Questions & Contact