Orchestras

Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra

About group

Soon after it was founded by Eugen Jochum in 1949, the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks developed into an internationally renowned orchestra, its fame continuously expanded and fortified by its chief conductors Rafael Kubelik, Sir Colin Davis and Lorin Maazel. Since 2003 it is Mariss Jansons setting new standards as the orchestra’s Chief Conductor.

Besides the orchestra’s repertoire of classic and romantic oeuvres a strong focus lays on contemporary works, in conjuction with the “musica viva” series, founded 1945 by Karl Amadeus Hartmann. Right from the start it was one of the main assignments  fostering contemporary works of composers like Igor Stravisky, Darius Milhas as well as, more recently Karlheinz Stockhausen, Mauricia Kagel, Luciano Berio and Peter Eötvös. Many of them stood on the podium themselves.

Many renown guest conductors shaped the artistic profile of the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks from its beginning on. Maestri like Erich and Carlos Kleiber, Otto Klemperer, Leonard Berstein, Georg Solti, Maria Giulini, Kurt Sanderling and – in recent times – Bernard Haitink, Riccardo Muti, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Herbert Blomstedt, Daniel Harding, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Sir Simon Rattle and Andris Nelsons.

Besides the many performances in Munich and other German cities extensive concert tours take  the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks regularly to virtually every European country, to Asia as well as to North and South America. It makes regular appearances in New York’s Carnegie Hall and in the renowned concert halls in Japan’s musical capitals. Since 2004, the Symphonieorchester under the direction of its current Chief Conductor, Mariss Jansons, is additionally the orchestra in residence at the Easter Festival in Lucerne.

The Orchestra gives special attention to the encouragement of up-and-coming young musicians. In conjunction with the ARD International Music Competition, the Symphonieorchester accompanies young musicians both in the final rounds as well as in the symphonic closing concert featuring the prize winners. Since October of 2001 the Academy of the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks has been doing valuable educational work by preparing young musicians for their later careers and thus building a solid bridge between education and professional activity. Beyond this, the Symphonieorchester maintains an encouragement program for young people with many activities designed toward the worthy goal of bringing the younger generation closer together with classical music.

With a high number of CD releases on major labels and -  since September of 2009 – also on Bavarian Broadcasting’s own label - BR-KLASSIK,  the BRSO obtains regularly national and international awards. As the most recent one  - in November 2016 - the "Diapason d'Or" for the recording of Gustav Mahler's 6th Symphony conducted by Daniel Harding.

In a number of different surveys of music critics, the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks has numbered among the top ten orchestras in the world, most recently in the 2008 orchestra ranking by the British music magazine “Gramophone”, (6th place) and in the Japanese music magazine “Mostly Classic” in 2010 (4th place).

Grand Hall:
191186, St. Petersburg, Mikhailovskaya st., 2
+7 (812) 240-01-00, +7 (812) 240-01-80
Small Hall:
191011, St. Petersburg, Nevsky av., 30
+7 (812) 240-01-00, +7 (812) 240-01-70
Write us:
Opening hours of the Grand Hall box office: 11 am to 8.30 pm
Lunch Break: 3 pm to 4 pm
Small Hall box office hours: from 11 am to 7 pm (on concerts days to 7.30 pm)
Lunch Break: 3 pm to 4 pm
© 2000—2024
«Saint-Petersburg Philharmonia»