The WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne (German: WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln) 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 ...

based in

Cologne Cologne ( ; ; ) is the largest city of the States of Germany, German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with nearly 1.1 million inhabitants in the city pr ...

, where the orchestra performs at two main concert halls: the WDR Funkhaus Wallrafplatz and the

Kölner Philharmonie The Kölner Philharmonie is a symphonic concert hall located in Cologne, Germany. It is part of the building ensemble of the Museum Ludwig and was opened in 1986. The Kölner Philharmonie is located close to the Cologne Cathedral and the Köln ...

History

The orchestra was founded in 1947 by Allied occupation authorities after World War II, as the orchestra of ''Nordwestdeutscher Rundfunk'' (NWDR; Northwest German Radio), with the name ''Kölner Rundfunk-Sinfonie-Orchester'' (Cologne Radio Symphony Orchestra). The orchestra became particularly known for its performances of 20th-century and contemporary music. It has commissioned and premiered works from such composers as

Luciano Berio Luciano Berio (24 October 1925 – 27 May 2003) was an Italian composer noted for his experimental music, experimental work (in particular his 1968 composition ''Sinfonia (Berio), Sinfonia'' and his series of virtuosic solo pieces titled ''Seque ...

Hans Werner Henze Hans Werner Henze (1 July 1926 – 27 October 2012) was a German composer. His large List of compositions by Hans Werner Henze, oeuvre is extremely varied in style, having been influenced by serialism, atonality, Igor Stravinsky, Stravinsky, Mu ...

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Krzysztof Penderecki Krzysztof Eugeniusz Penderecki (; 23 November 1933 – 29 March 2020) was a Polish composer and conductor. His best-known works include '' Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima'', Symphony No. 3, his '' St Luke Passion'', '' Polish Requiem'', '' ...

Karlheinz Stockhausen Karlheinz Stockhausen (; 22 August 1928 – 5 December 2007) was a German composer, widely acknowledged by critics as one of the most important but also controversial composers of the 20th and early 21st centuries. He is known for his groun ...

and

Bernd Alois Zimmermann Bernd Alois Zimmermann (20 March 1918 – 10 August 1970) was a German composer. He is perhaps best known for his opera ''Die Soldaten'', which is regarded as one of the most important German operas of the 20th century, after those of Berg. Hi ...

. For the first part of its history, the orchestra did not have a principal conductor, but worked with guest conductors.

Christoph von Dohnányi Christoph von Dohnányi (; born 8 September 1929) is a German conducting, conductor. Biography Youth and World War II Dohnányi was born in Berlin, Germany to Hans von Dohnanyi, a German jurist of Hungarian ancestry, and Christine von Dohnan ...

was the first conductor to serve as the orchestra's principal conductor, from 1964 to 1969. In the 1990s, the orchestra changed its name to the ''WDR Sinfonieorchester'' (WDR Symphony Orchestra). In February 2017, Cristian Măcelaru first guest-conducted the orchestra. He returned for three subsequent guest appearances with the orchestra. In May 2019, the orchestra announced the appointment of Măcelaru as its next chief conductor, effective with the 2019–2020 season, with an initial contract of 3 years. In June 2020, the orchestra announced an extension of Măcelaru's contract until July 2025. In October 2023, the orchestra announced that Măcelaru is to stand down as its chief conductor at the close of the 2024–2025 season, and to take the title of Artistic Partner for the 2025–2026 season. In December 2022,

Marie Jacquot Marie Jacquot (born 1990 in Paris) is a French orchestra conductor. She is music director of the Royal Danish Orchestra. Biography Raised in Lucé near Chartres, Jacquot began her music studies on piano, and subsequently learned to play trombo ...

first guest-conducted the orchestra. In January 2024, the orchestra announced the appointment of Jacquot as its next chief conductor, with effect from the 2026–2027 season, with an initial contract of 4 years. Jacquot is the first female conductor to be named chief conductor of the ''WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln''. The orchestra has recorded commercially for such labels as Avie,

Hänssler Hänssler-Verlag is a German music publishing house founded in 1919 as Musikverlag Hänssler by (died 1972) to publish church music. In 1941 the Nazi government shut down the publishing house. It was allowed by the West German authorities to reo ...

, Kairos, CPO, and Wergo.

Principal conductors

(1964–1969) *

Zdeněk Mácal Zdeněk Mácal (; 8 January 1936 – 25 October 2023) was a Czech conductor who worked internationally. The promising conductor who had won international competitions left his home country of Czechoslovakia in 1968 when the Warsaw Pact ended the ...

(1970–1974) * Hiroshi Wakasugi (1977–1983) *

Gary Bertini Gary Bertini (; May 1, 1927 – March 17, 2005) was one of the most important Israeli musicians and conductors. In 1978 he was awarded the Israel Prize for Music. Biography Gary Bertini was born ''Shloyme Golergant'' in Bricheva, Bessarabia, th ...

(1983–1991) * Hans Vonk (1991–1997) * Semyon Bychkov (1997–2010) *

Jukka-Pekka Saraste Jukka-Pekka Saraste (born 22 April 1956) is a Finnish conductor and violinist. Biography Saraste was born in Heinola, the son of teachers Kauko Pekka Saraste and Ritva Leena-Marjatta (Ruoranen) Saraste. He was trained as a violinist at the Cons ...

(2010–2019) * Cristian Măcelaru (2019–present) *

(designate, effective 2026)

Venues

References

External links

* * {{Authority control Westdeutscher Rundfunk German symphony orchestras Orchestras in Cologne Musical groups established in 1947 German radio orchestras 1947 establishments in Germany

History

Principal conductors

Venues

See also

References

External links