The Deutsche Radio Philharmonie Saarbrücken Kaiserslautern (German Radio Philharmonic Orchestra Saarbrücken Kaiserslautern) is a German

radio orchestra A radio orchestra (or broadcast orchestra) is an orchestra employed by a radio network (and sometimes television networks) in order to provide programming as well as sometimes perform incidental or theme music for various shows on the network. In ...

. Its administrative headquarters is in Saarbrücken, at the ''Funkhaus Halberg''. The orchestra gives concerts at the ''Funkhaus Halberg'' and the ''Congresshalle'' in Saarbrücken, and at the ''Fruchthalle'' in Kaiserslautern. The precursor ensemble of the orchestra date back to 1937. In 1951, Emmerich Smola established the ''Rundfunkorchester Kaiserslautern'' for the ''Südwestfunk'' (Southwest Radio). Separately, by 1952, funding shortages at RIAS led to the downsizing of a full symphony orchestra in the Saarland region to a chamber orchestra. This was the ''Kammerorchester des Saarländischen Rundfunks'', established in 1957. This chamber orchestra gave concerts until 1972. In 1973, this orchestra merged with the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Saarbrücken. With the consolidation of two German broadcasting networks, the Südwestfunk and SDR into the newly formed SWR, two separate orchestras from the former parent networks, the ''Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Saarbrücken'' of the

Saarländischer Rundfunk Saarländischer Rundfunk (SR; ''Saarland Broadcasting'') is a public radio and television broadcaster serving the German state of Saarland. With headquarters in the Halberg Broadcasting House in Saarbrücken, SR is a member of the ARD consor ...

(SR) and the Rundfunkorchester Kaiserslautern of the

Südwestrundfunk Südwestrundfunk (SWR; ''Southwest Broadcasting'') is a regional public broadcasting corporation serving the southwest of Germany , specifically the federal states of Baden-Württemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate. The corporation has main offices ...

were consolidated into a single ensemble, and given the new name of ''Deutsche Radio Philharmonie Saarbrücken Kaiserslautern'' (DRP) (2007). Christoph Poppen was the first chief conductor of the combined ensemble, serving through 2011. Since 2011, the orchestra's chief conductor has been

Karel Mark Chichon Karel Mark Chichon (born 30 April 1971) is a British-Gibraltarian orchestra conductor. Biography Born in London, Chichon studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London, and at the Hochschule für Musik in Vienna under Leopold Hager. Chichon ...

. He is scheduled to step down from the post after the 2016–2017 season. In September 2016, the orchestra announced the appointment of

Pietari Inkinen Pietari Inkinen (born 29 April 1980, Kouvola, Finland) is a Finnish violinist and conductor. Biography Inkinen began violin and piano studies at age 4. As a youth, he also performed in a rock band. He attended the Sibelius Academy and gradu ...

as its next chief conductor, effective with the 2017–2018 season, with an initial contract of 4 years.

Chief conductors

* Rudolf Michl (1946–1971; SR) *

Hans Zender Johannes Wolfgang Zender (22 November 1936 – 22 October 2019) was a German conductor and composer. He was the chief conductor of several opera houses, and his compositions, many of them vocal music, have been performed at international festival ...

(1972–1984; SR) * Myung-Whun Chung (1984–1990; SR) *

Marcello Viotti Marcello Viotti (29 June 195416 February 2005) was a Swiss classical music conductor, best known for opera. Viotti was born in Vallorbe, in the French-speaking region of Switzerland, to Italian parents. He studied cello, piano and singing at t ...

(1991–1995; SR) * Michael Stern (1996–2000; SR) *

Günther Herbig Günther Herbig (born 30 November 1931) is a German conductor. Born in Ústí nad Labem, Czechoslovakia, Herbig studied conducting at the Franz Liszt Academy in Weimar in 1951 (then in East Germany) with Hermann Abendroth. He later was a student ...

(2001–2006; SR) * Christoph Poppen (2006–2011; DRP) *

(2011–2017; DRP) *

(2017–present; DRP)

References

External links

Official website, accessed 19 March 2013
{{DEFAULTSORT:Deutsche Radio Philharmonie Saarbrucken Kaiserslautern Culture of the Palatinate (region) German symphony orchestras Musical groups established in 2007 Oehms Classics artists