The Folkwang Kammerorchester Essen is a

chamber orchestra Chamber music is a form of classical music that is composed for a small group of instruments—traditionally a group that could fit in a palace chamber or a large room. Most broadly, it includes any art music that is performed by a small numbe ...

historically formed mostly by students of the

Folkwang University The Folkwang University of the Arts is a university for music, theater, dance, design, and academic studies, located in four German cities of North Rhine-Westphalia. Since 1927, its traditional main location has been in the former Werden Abbey in ...

Essen Essen (; Latin: ''Assindia'') is the central and, after Dortmund, second-largest city of the Ruhr, the largest urban area in Germany. Its population of makes it the fourth-largest city of North Rhine-Westphalia after Cologne, Düsseldorf and D ...

, Germany, and other in

North Rhine-Westphalia North Rhine-Westphalia (german: Nordrhein-Westfalen, ; li, Noordrien-Wesfale ; nds, Noordrhien-Westfalen; ksh, Noodrhing-Wäßßfaale), commonly shortened to NRW (), is a States of Germany, state (''Land'') in Western Germany. With more tha ...

, to prepare them for a future position in an orchestra; however, it currently employs a core of permanent members from all over Germany and the world. Members are auditioned and trialed as in a professional orchestra, and, if successful, are offered a permanent contract up to the age of 35. It was founded in 1958 by the director of the ''Folkwangschule''

Heinz Dressel Heinz Dressel (23 June 1902 – June 1997) was a German conductor. Life Born in Mainz, Dressel studied in Cologne with Hermann Abendroth, became Kapellmeister in Plauen, and later in Lübeck and General Music Director there in 1934. During the ...

. More than 500 musicians were since employed in opera- and symphony orchestras in Germany and abroad. The orchestra is the only one to perform regularly in the historic

Villa Hügel The Villa Hügel is a 19th-century mansion in Bredeney, now part of Essen, Germany. It was built by the industrialist Alfred Krupp in 1870-1873 as his main residence and was the home of the Krupp family until after World War II. More recently, th ...

. Young soloists have been chosen to also enjoy a stage for their performances. Artists such as

Christoph Eschenbach Christoph Eschenbach (; born 20 February 1940) is a German pianist and conductor. Early life Eschenbach was born in Breslau, Germany (now Wrocław, Poland). His parents were Margarethe (née Jaross) and Heribert Ringmann. He was orphaned durin ...

Maria Kliegel Maria Kliegel (born 14 November 1952) is a German cellist. Professional career Kliegel was born in Dillenburg, Hesse. She studied under Janos Starker starting at the age of 19. She won first prize at the American College Competition, First Germ ...

Nils Mönkemeyer Nils Mönkemeyer (born 1978) is a German violist and academic teacher. He has recorded several CDs, of viola literature and arrangements for the viola, making it a respected solo instrument. He has been awarded several international prizes. Car ...

Sabine Meyer Sabine Meyer (born 30 March 1959) is a German classical clarinetist. Biography Born in Crailsheim, Baden-Württemberg, Meyer began playing the clarinet at an early age. Her first teacher was her father, also a clarinetist. She studied with Otto ...

Vadim Repin Vadim Viktorovich Repin (russian: Вадим Викторович Репин, ; born 31 August 1971) is a Russian and Belgian violinist who lives in Vienna.

and

Christian Tetzlaff Christian Tetzlaff (born 29 April 1966) is a German violinist. Biography Tetzlaff was born in Hamburg. His parents were amateur musicians and met in a church choir. He began playing the violin and piano at the age of 6, and made his concert debu ...

appeared with the orchestra early in their career. The orchestra has played also in Germany and Europe, including Austria, Italy, Lithuania, Switzerland. A 2010 tour led to Algeria. They have performed at festivals such as

Rheingau Musik Festival The (RMF) is an international summer music festival in Germany, founded in 1987. It is mostly for classical music, but includes other genres. Concerts take place at culturally important locations, such as Eberbach Abbey and Schloss Johannisberg, ...

Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival The Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival is a classical music festival held each summer throughout the state of Schleswig-Holstein in Northern Germany. History The festival was founded in 1986 by German concert pianist Justus Frantz. In 2006, the 21 ...

and Schwetzinger Mozartfest. The orchestra is a regular partner of the and has accompanied other choirs such as the

Rheingauer Kantorei ' (Rheingau chorale), now ', is a mixed choir of the region in Germany, performing mostly sacred music in services and concerts. Frank Stähle The choir was founded in 1977 by Frank Stähle as the choir of the ' (Protestant deanery Wiesb ...

. Guest conductors have included

Marc Piollet Marc Piollet (born 1962) is a French conductor. After positions at the Staatstheater Kassel and Volksoper in Vienna, he was Generalmusikdirektor (GMD) at the Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden from 2004 to 2012. Career Born in Paris, Piollet st ...

, Peter Schneider and

Lothar Zagrosek Lothar Zagrosek (born 13 November 1942 in Otting, Germany) is a German conductor. As a youth, he sang in the Regensburg Cathedral choir, including performances as the First Boy in ''The Magic Flute'' at the 1954 Salzburg Festival. From 1962 to ...

. In 2015, the orchestra played a charity concert at the

Aachen Cathedral Aachen Cathedral (german: Aachener Dom) is a Roman Catholic church in Aachen, Germany and the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Aachen. One of the oldest cathedrals in Europe, it was constructed by order of Emperor Charlemagne, who was buri ...

. In the 2016/17 season, the orchestra scheduled concerts also in the

Zeche Zollverein The Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex (German Zeche Zollverein) is a large former industrial site in the city of Essen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The first Coal mining, coal mine on the premises was founded in 1847, and mining activit ...

. Dressel was the first chief conductor, succeeded by

Heribert Beissel Heribert Beissel (27 March 1933 – 11 June 2021) was a German conductor. While based in Bonn for decades, as conductor at the Bonn Opera and as founder and conductor of the Klassische Philharmonie Bonn, he also held leading positions in Halle ...

, Alexander Schwinck, Karl-Heinz Bloemeke, Stefan Fraas and

Achim Fiedler Achim Fiedler (born 1965) is a German conductor. Biography Born in Stuttgart in 1965, Achim Fiedler studied violin at the Hochschule für Musik in Köln, in London at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and conducting at the Musikhochschu ...

(from 2006). The current chief conductor,

Johannes Klumpp Johannes Klumpp (born 17 December 1980) is a German conductor. Life Born in Stuttgart, Klumpp went to school at the Eberhard-Ludwigs-Gymnasium, completing with the Abitur. After private conducting lessons from Manfred Schreier and Thomas Ung ...

, has held the position from 2013.

References

External links

*
Die Orchestergeschichte
(in German) vollgasinperfektion.de {{authority control, state=collapsed Chamber orchestras 1958 establishments in Germany German orchestras Musical groups established in 1958 Folkwang University of the Arts