Giacomo Puccini | La Bohème
Musikalische Leitung
Paolo Arrivabeni
Conductor
Birthplace:
Italy
Studies:
Composition at the Conservatorio di Musica Arrigo Boito in Parma with Camillo Togni, and conducting with Daniele Gatti, advanced courses with Daniele Gatti at the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome
Repertoire:
Focus on 19th century Italian composers such as Rossini, Donizetti, Verdi and Puccini, but also Wagner, R. Strauss and Mussorgsky
Career stages:
Music director of the Opéra Royal de Wallonie in Liège (2008-2017), assistant conductor at the Teatro Comunale di Bologna (1997-2000)
Stages:
Opéra Royal de Wallonie, Teatro Lirico di Cagliari, Teatro San Carlo, Teatro La Fenice, Opernhaus Zürich, Oper Leipzig, Staatsoper Unter den Linden Berlin, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Opéra Bastille, Metropolitan Opera, Theater an der Wien, Wiener Staatsoper, Bayerische Staatsoper, Semperoper Dresden, Grand Théâtre de Genève, Teatro Massimo di Palermo, Teatro dell'Opera di Roma, Opéra Municipal de Marseille, Opéra de Monte-Carlo, Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, Munich Opera Festival, New National Theatre Tokyo, Chorégies d'Orange, Teatro Auditorio San Lorenzo de El Escorial, Teatr Wielki, Théâtre du Capitole de Toulouse, Opéra de Lausanne, Teatro de La Maestranza, Santa Fe Opera, et al.
Cooperation with orchestras:
Orchestra Sinfonica Haydn di Trento e Bolzano, Orchestra Sinfonica Giuseppe Verdi di Milano, Orchestre de l'Opéra de Marseille, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Radiosymphonieorchester Wien, Orchester der Deutschen Oper Berlin, Orchestra National de France, et al.
More about Paolo Arrivabeni
photo: Lorraine Wauters/Opéra Royal de Wallonie
Chor
Christian Günther
Associate Chorus Master
Birthplace:
Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
Studies:
Conducting at University of Music and Performing Arts Munich, conducting lessons with Neeme Järvi, Jorma Panula and Gianluigi Gelmetti
Relation to the Hamburg State Opera:
Assistant Chorus Master at Hamburg State Opera since the 2019/20 season
Career stages:
Assistant of the Chorus Master at Hamburg State Opera (2008-2019), regular guest appearances at NDR-Chorus (since 2018), Guest Chorus Master at Zürich Opera House (2018), Assistant of Eberhard Friedrich with the Chorus of the Bayreuth Festival (2017), Guest engagements at Music Festival Bremen, at Festival der Projektgruppe Neue Musik Bremen as well as at Oh Ton-Ensemble Oldenburg, Leader of the Ensemble “Atelier Neue Musik”, Lectureship at the Hochschule für Künste Bremen (since 2007), Associate Chorus Master and Leader of the children's chorus at Theater Bremen (2002-2007), 2nd Capellmeister at Theater Bremen (2005-2007), Conductor of the Ensemble “piano possible” Munich (1996-2007), Guest répétiteur at Stuttgart State Theater, Theater am Gärtnerplatz in Munich and at the Biennale in Munich
Cooperation with choruses:
Chorus of Hamburg State Opera, NDR Chorus, Children's chorus of Theater Bremen, et al.
More about Christian Günther
Kinderchor
Luiz de Godoy
Musical Direction
Birthplace:
Mogi das Cruzes, Brasil
Studies:
Piano at Universidade de São Paulo (Bachelor) and at Escola Superior de Artes Aplicadas (Master), Erasmus stay with focus on piano and conducting at Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln, Diploma course conducting at Universität für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Wien (with honors)
Prizes:
Würdigungspreis der Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Wien (2019), Scholarship from UNESCO, the European Union and the Brazilian Ministry of Education and Cultural Affairs, Erwin-Ortner-Preis zur Förderung der Chormusik (2016)
Relation to the Hamburg State Opera:
Leader Alsterspatzen since 2019/20
Repertoire:
Focus on choral symphonic repertoire (spiritual and secular oratorios; in particular Wiener Klassik and Deutsche Romantik), special relationship to performance practices of old and new music
Career stages:
conductor of the Wiener Sängerknaben (2016–2019), choir director of Chorakademie des Wiener Staatsopernchores (2016–2018), assistent of the artistic director of the Wiener Singakademie at the Wiener Konzerthaus (2015–2019), musical director of Opera Studio at Sommerfestival „ Música nas Montanhas“ in Poços de Caldas, Brasilien (2010–2012), corepeater of opera projekts at Theatro Municipal de São Paulo (2005–2009)
Stages:
Esplanade Singapur, Peking National Opera, Seoul Lotte Hall, Shanghai Oriental Art Center, Taiwan National Theater, Teatro Real Madrid, Theatro Municipal de São Paulo, Tokyo Opera City Hall, Wiener Konzerthaus, Wiener Musikverein; Carinthischer Sommer, Dresdner Musikfestspiele, Grafenegg Festival, Schleswig-Holstein Festival
Cooperations with orchestras (as conductor):
Camerata Schulz, ORF Radio-Symphonieorchester Wien, Orquestra de la Armada de Chile, Orquestra Juvenil da Bahia, Polish Baltic Filharmonic, Schubert-Akademie Wien, Youth-Orchestra Singapur et al.
cooperations (choral rehearsal / assistance):
Berliner Philharmoniker, Les Sciècles, Mariinsky-Theaterorchester Wiener Philharmoniker, Wiener Symphoniker et al.
Cooperations with artists:
Gustavo Dudamel, Valery Gergiev, Ton Koopman, Sir Simon Rattle, Simone Young, Franz Welser-Möst
More about Luiz de Godoy
photo: Fernanda Nigro
Rodolfo
Tomislav Mužek
tenor
Birthplace:
Siegen, Germany
Studies:
Singing, University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna
Prizes:
Croatian Theatre Prize (2003, 2009), First Prize Ferruccio Tagliavini Competition (1999)
Important parts:
Don Ottavio (Don Giovanni), Tamino (Die Zauberflöte), Ferrando (Cosí fan tutte), Rudolfo (La Bohéme), Alfredo (La Traviata), Nemorino (L’Elisir d’Amore), Erik/Steuermann (Der fliegende Holländer), Jonathan (Saul), Arbace (Idomeneo), Narraboth (Salome), Pinkerton (Madama Butterfly), Edgardi (Lucia di Lammermoor), Max (Der Freischütz), Florestan (Fidelio), Königssohn (Die Königskinder), Lohengrin (Lohengrin); Don Carlo (Don Carlo), Macduff (MacBeth), et al.
Stages:
Bayerische Staatsoper München, Staatsoper Berlin, Semperoper Dresden, Volksoper Wien, Staatsoper Wien, Teatro alla Scala, Teatro Communale Bologna, Teatro Communale in Florenz, Teatro Massimo in Palermo, Teatro San Carlo in Neapel, Théâtre du Capitole in Toulouse, Opéra National de Paris, Musikfestival Ruhrtriennale, Bayreuther Festspiele, Berliner Philharmonie, Salzburger Osterfestspiele, Teatro Real Madrid, Teatro Regio Turin, New National Theatre Tokio, Hong Kong Opera, Opera House Daegu Korea, WASO Perth Bolschoi Theater in Moskau, et al.
Career stages:
Ensemblemitglied an der Semperoper (2014-2016), Ensemblemitglied am Theater Bremen (2000-2002), Ensemblemitglied an der Staatsoper Wien (1999-2000)
Cooperations with directors:
Luca Ronconi, Pier Luigi Pizzi, Mario Pontiggia, Henning Brockhaus, Francois Girard, Claus Guth, Jan Phillip Gloger, Jetske Mijnssen, Axel Köhler, et al.
Cooperations with conductors:
Christian Thielemann, Riccardo Muti, Bernard Haitink, Christoph von Eschenbach, Zubin Mehta, Simone Young, Myung Whun Chung, Peter Schneider, Gustavo Dudamel, et al.
More about Tomislav Mužek
photo: Barbara Palffy
Schaunard
Chao Deng
Bass-baritone
Birthplace:
Tianjin, China
Studies:
Vocal studies in Tianjin, China; diploma in voice at the Hochschule für Musik Würzburg with Cheryl Studer; master studies with Christian Elsner and in the Lied class of Gerold Huber and opera studio at the Hochschule für Musik Weimar with Prof. Dr. Michail Lanskoi; master class exam at the Hochschule für Musik Dresden with KS Prof. Matthias Henneberg.
Master classes:
With Liang Li, Michaelis Doukakis, John Norris, KS Camilla Nylund, KS Helen Donath, KS Brigitte Fassbaender, Sonja Prina, Alberto Triola, Catherine Foster, Georg Zeppenfeld, Juliane Banse, Roberto Scandiuzzi, KS Deborah Polaski.
Awards:
Prize for Opera Singing of the Concerto Foundation Würzburg (2015), Prize Winner of the International Singing Competition of the Chamber Opera Schloss Rheinsberg (2014), Scholarship Holder of the Richard Wagner Association Bayreuth Festival (2014), et al.
Relation to the State Opera:
Ensemble member of the Hamburg State Opera since the 2020/21 season.
Important roles:
Peter (Hänsel und Gretel), Häuptling Abendwind (Chief Evening Wind), Ramfis (Aida), Gianni Schicchi/Betto di Signa (Gianni Schicchi), Papageno/Sprecher /2. Geharnischte (Die Zauberflöte), Frank (Die Fledermaus), Don Fernando (Fidelio), Schaunard (La Bohème), Mr. Fluth (The Merry Wives of Windsor), Kilian/Ottokar (Der Freischütz), Buonafede (Il mondo della luna), Förster (Das schlaue Füchslein), Le Duc (Romeo et Juliette), Angelotti (Tosca), Colas (Bastien et Bastienne), Priamus (Les Troyens), Antonio (Le nozze di Figaro), Marullo/Ceprano (Rigoletto), Zuniga (Carmen), De Retz (Les Huguenots), Lord Syndham (Zar und Zimmermann), Spielmann (Königskinder), Journalist (Lulu), Osias, High Priest (Judith), et al.
Stages:
Hamburg State Opera, Bavarian State Opera, Dresden Semper Opera, German Opera on the Rhine, Dresden Philharmonic, Braunschweig State Theater, German National Theater Weimar, Dresden State Operetta, Erfurt Theater, Weimarhalle, Saar Music Festival, Shanghai Opera House, et al.
Collaboration with directors:
Peter Konwitschny, Lydia Steier, Barrie Kosky, Mariame Clément,Yona Kim, Manfred Weiß, Sabine Hartmannshenn, Hasko Weber, Anette Leistenschneider, Guy Montavon, Andrea Moses, et al.
Collaboration with conductors:
Kent Nagano, Sebastian Weigle, Stefano Ranzani, John Fiore, Stefan Soltész, Xu Zhong, Daniele Callegari, Speranza Scappucci, Giampaolo Bisanti, Ivan Repušić, Riccardo Minasi, Giacomo Sagripanti, Roberto Rizzi Brignoli, Thomas Leo Cadenbach, Moritz Gnann, Felix Krieger, Christoph Gedschold, Kristiina Poska, Tomáš Netopil, Antonino Fogliani, Omer Meir Wellber, Nikolaj Szeps-Znaider, Stefan Lano, Martin Hoff, Georg Fritzsch, et al.
More about Chao Deng
photo: Jie Chen
Marcello
Alexey Bogdanchikov
Baritone
Birthplace:
Tashkent, Uzbekistan
Studies:
Galina Vishnevskaya Opera Centre, Tchaikovsky State Conservatory in Moscow
Prizes:
Winner of the 57th International Singing Competition "Voci Verdiane" in Busseto (2019), Dr. Wilhelm Oberdörffer-Preis (2017), Special Prize at the “Neue Stimmen” competition (2013), representative for Russia at the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World Competition (2013), second prize at the European Vocal Competition “Debut” (2012), third prize at the Armel Opera Competition in Hungary (2010)
Relation to the Hamburg State Opera:
Ensemble member of the Hamburg State Opera since 2015/16
Important parts:
Barrett (The Servant), Wolfram (Tannhäuser), Eugen Onegin (Eugen Onegin), Robert (Iolanta), Prinz Jeletzki (Pique Dame), Belcore (L’Elisir d’Amore), Marcello (La Bohème), Ping (Turandot), Marchese (La Traviata), Paolo Albiani (Simon Boccanegra), Moralès (Carmen), Graf (Le Nozze di Figaro), Mercutio (Roméo et Juliette), Rodrigo (Don Carlo), Frank und Fritz (Die tote Stadt), Silvio (Pagliacci), Sharpless (Madama Butterfly), Figaro (Il Barbiere di Siviglia), Valentin (Faust), Der Einäugige (Die Frau ohne Schatten), Sid (La Fanciulla del West), Enrico (Lucia di Lammermoor), et al.
Stages:
Armel Opernfestival in Szeged, Teatro Comunale di Bologna, Guangzhou Opera House, Teatro Comunale Luciano Pavarotti in Modena, Teatro Municipale in Piacenza, Teatro Delle Muse in Ancona, Teatro dell’Opera di Roma, Astrakhan Opera House in Magnitogorsk, Kolobov Novaya Opera Theatre Moscow, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Hamburgische Staatsoper, Staatsoper Hannover, et al.
Cooperation with conductors:
Jader Bignamini, Francesco Ivan Ciampa, Emmanuel Villaume, Renato Palumbo, Erich Wächter, Alexander Joel, Stefano Ranzani, Josep Caballé Domenech, Nathan Brock, Gregor Bühl, Kent Nagano, Pier Giorgio Morandi, Christoph Gedschold, Carlo Rizzari, Christopher Ward, et al.
More about Alexey Bogdanchikov
photo: Martina Cyman
Colline
Hubert Kowalczyk
Basso
Birthplace:
Radom, Poland
Studies:
Young Talents Development Programme - Opera Academy in Warsaw (from 2016 to 2019), Instituto Superiore di Studi Musicali Pietro Mascagani in Livorno with Prof. Graziano Polidori (2017/18), Hochschule für Musik "Hanns Eisler" Berlin with Prof. Martin Bruns
Master class:
Lioba Braun, Helmut Deutsch, Brigitte Fassbaender, Tomasz Konieczny, Bogdan Makal, Olga Pasiecznik, Eytan Pessen, Rudolf Piernay, Matthias Rexroth, et al.
Important parts:
Bartolo (Le nozze di Figaro), Collatinus (The Rape of Lucretia), Haly (L‘italiana in Algeri), Hauptmann, Saretzki (Eugen Onegin), Sarastro (Die Zauberflöte), Pistola (Falstaff), Zuniga (Carmen), et al.
Stages:
Bregenzer Festspiele, Teatr Wielki – Opera Narodowa Warschau, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Staatsoper Berlin
Cooperation with directors:
Calixto Bieito, David Bösch, Andrzej Chyra, Brigitte Fassbaender, Dmitri Tcherniakov
Cooperation with conductors:
Giampaolo Bisanti, Jonathan Brandani, Daniele Callegari, Paolo Carignani, Michał Klauza, Axel Kober, Volker Krafft, Carlo Montanaro, Pier Giorgio Morandi, Kent Nagano, Sébastien Rouland, Robin Ticciati, Keri-Lynn Wilson, Bertrand de Billy
More about Hubert Kowalczyk
photo: Martina Cyman
Benoît
David Minseok Kang
Bass
Origin:
Korea
Studies:
Kyunghee University in Seoul with Alfred Kim, Staatliche Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Stuttgart Master class Oper with Ulrike Sonntag (2018-2022)
Master classes:
With Jenny Anvelt, Bo Skovhus, Kwangchul Youn, Margreet Honig, Gundula Schneider
Important parts:
Sarastro (Die Zauberflöte), Colline (La Bohème), Dr. Grenvil (La Traviata), Gremin (Eugen Onegin), Reinmar von Zweter (Tannhäuser), Don Alfonso (Così fan tutte), Sparafucile (Rigoletto), Colline (La Bohème), et al.
Stages:
Staatsoper Stuttgart, Ettlinger Schlossfestspiele, Theater Kiel, Oper Zürich
Relation to the State Opera:
Member of the International Opera Studio from 2019/2020 to 2021/2022
Ensemble member since 2022/2023
Cooperations with directors:
Blanka Radoczy, Solvejg Bauer, Bernd Schmitt
Cooperations with conductors:
Kent Nagano, Nicolas Andre, Matteo Beltrami, Paolo Arrivabeni, Giampaolo Bisanti, Francesco Ivan Ciampa
More about David Minseok Kang
photo: Brinkhoff/Mögenburg
Mimì
Elbenita Kajtazi
Soprano
Birthplace:
Mitrovica, Kosovo
Studies:
Graduated summa cum laude from the Mitrovica Conservatory of Music (2009), subsequently studied at the University of Prishtina
Prizes:
Audience Prize and 3rd place at the first Glyndebourne Opera Cup (2018), first prize and special prize at the Riccardo Zandonai Competition (2015), first prize at the Spiros Argiris Competition of the Sarzana Opera Festival in Italy (2014), scholarship holder of the Förderkreis der Deutschen Oper Berlin (2014-2016), participant of the Young Singers Project at the Salzburg Festival (2016), Dr. Wilhelm Oberdörffer Prize Hamburg (2020).
Important parts:
Violetta (La Traviata), Nannetta (Falstaff), Mimi (La Boheme), Manon (Manon), Micaëla (Carmen), Liù (Turandot), Pamina (Die Zauberflöte), Susanna (Le Nozze di Figaro), Contessa (Le Nozze di Figaro), Gretel (Hänsel und Gretel), Musetta (La Bohème), Adina (L'elisir d'amore), Marzelline (Fidelio), et al.
Stages:
Staatsoper Hamburg, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Staatsoper Unter den Linden, Bayrische Staatsoper, Opernhaus Zürich, Semperoper Dresden, Grand Théâtre de Genève, Opéra National de Bordeaux, Teatro Municipal de Santiago, Aalto-Teater Essen, Philharmonie Essen, et al.
Cooperation with conductors:
Tomáš Netopil, Friedrich Haider, Riccardo Minasi, Roberto Rizzi Brignoli, Axel Kober, Patrick Fournillier, Donald Runnicles, Yoel Gamzou, Kent Nagano, Nicholas Carter, et al.
More about Elbenita Kajtazi
photo: Marie Luise Calvero
Musetta
Olivia Boen
Soprano
Birthplace:
Chicago, USA
Studies:
Opera Course at Guildhall School of Music and Drama (2021), Master of Music with Distinction at Guildhall School of Music and Drama (2019), Bachelor of Music in Voice from Oberlin Conservatory of Music (2017)
Prizes:
Finalist Guildhall Gold Medal Prize (2021), Awarded English Song Prize from London Song Festival (2019), Third Place Hurn Court Singing Competition (2019), First Place Musicians Club of Women Lynne Cooper Harvey Foundation Award (2018), Awarded Frank Huntington Beebe Fund for Musicians Grant (2018), First Place Tuesday Musical Competition (2017)
Master classes:
Renée Fleming, Roderick Williams, Thomas Hampson, Eric Owens, Helmut Deutsch, Marilyn Horne, Thomas Quasthoff, Dame Felicity Lott, Kamal Khan, Kate Royal
Important parts:
Erste Dame (Die Zauberflöte), Susanna (Il Segreto di Susanna), Queen Mother (The Little Green Swallow), Donna Anna (Don Giovanni) [cover], Alcina (Alcina), Romilda (Serse), Thérèse (Les Mamelles de Tirésias), Die Stimme des Falken (Die Frau ohne Schatten),Anna (Nabucco), Barbarina (Le Nozze di Figaro), Gretel (Hänsel und Gretel), Musetta (La Bohéme), et al.
Stages:
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Wigmore Hall, Oxford Lieder Festival, Verbier Festival, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Barbican Centre, Nevill Holt Opera, London Song Festival, Ravinia Festival, Internationale Meistersinger Akademie, Samling Institute, et al.
Cooperations with directors:
Martin Lloyd-Evans, Lee Blakeley, Stephen Medcalf, et al.
Cooperations with conductors:
Sir Andrew Davis, Valery Gergiev, Dominic Wheeler, Stanislav Kochanovsky, et al.
More about Olivia Boen
photo: Jörn Kipping
Parpignol
Dongwon Kang
Tenor
Birthplace:
Jinju, South Korea
Studies:
Graduate of Keimyeong University College of Arts and Keimyeong Graduate School of Classical Vocal
Master class:
with Prof. Nicola Martinucci in Keimyung University in Daegu, South Korea (2015)
Prizes:
Third prize in the “Arena Academi” International Competition in Italy (2015), third prize in the Gaechun Competition in Korea (2015), first prize in the Um-Junghaeng Competition in Korea (2016), third prize in the “Ismaele Voltolini” International Competition in Italy (2016), first prize and special prize in the Sung-jung Competition in Korea (2016), third prize in the Daegu Vocal Competition in Korea (2016), second prize in the Joong-Ang Competition in Korea (2017), first prize in the Ihwa-Kyunghyang Competition in Korea (2017), finalist in the “Busetto Verdi” International Competition in Italy (2017)
Relation to the Hamburg State Opera:
Scholar of the Daegu Opera House Foundation from 2018/19 till 2019/20
Important parts:
Tamino (Die Zauberflöte), Alfredo (La Traviata), Rodolfo (La Bohème), Nemorino (L’Elisir d’Amore), et al.
Stages:
Daegu Opera House, Keimyeong Art Center, et al.
Cooperation with conductors:
Matthias Fletzberger, Michael Zlabinger, et al.
More about Dongwon Kang
photo: Tamara Sophie Grieß
Alcindoro
Han Kim
Bass
Birthplace:
Pohang, South Korea
Studies:
Bachelor, Seoul National University with Kwangchul Youn; Master Vocal performance, Hochschule für Musik Karlsruhe with Christian Elsner; Soloist’s Diploma Vocal performance, Hochschule für Musik Karlsruhe with Christian Elsner
Master class:
with Ann Murray, Hochschule für Musik Karlsruhe (2019), with David Selig, Hochschule für Musik Karlsruhe (2019)
Relation to the Hamburg State Opera:
Member of the International Opera Studio of the Hamburg State Opera (since 2021/2022)
Important parts:
Figaro (Le nozze di Figaro), Leporello/Masetto (Don Giovanni), Don Alfonso (Così fan tutte), Sprecher (Die Zauberflöte), Il conte Rodolfo (La sonambula), Don Basilio (Il barbiere di Siviglia), Don Fernando (Fidelio), Colline (La Bohème), Zuniga (Carmen)
Stages:
Theater Heidelberg
Cooperation with directors:
Sonja Trebes
Cooperation with conductors:
Dietger Holm
More about Han Kim
photo: Jörn Kipping
Chor
Chor der Hamburgischen Staatsoper
The chorus members appear on stage at the Hamburg State Opera in a different role almost every night. From one day to the next, they might be sailors, pilgrims or conspirators, then courtiers, hunters, the deranged or the imprisoned. In the role of crusaders in I Lombardi alla prima Crociata they travel to Jerusalem, other nights they are invited to Madama Butterfly's marriage or acclaim Prince Igor. The ladies and gentlemen of the opera chorus demonstrate their artistic prowess, their flexibility, and their love of the stage in every performance.
With a membership around 70, the chorus of the Hamburg State Opera has been one of the world’s best opera choruses for many years. The varied repertoire – almost always in the original language – is multifaceted and includes baroque operas and dramatic operas, major works by Verdi and Wagner as well as contemporary pieces. At the start of the 2013/14 season, Eberhard Friedrich took over the post of Chorus Master.
More about Chor der Hamburgischen Staatsoper
photo: Niklas Marc Heinecke
Orchester
Philharmonisches Staatsorchester Hamburg
Orchestra
The Philharmonic State Orchestra is Hamburg’s largest and oldest orchestra, looking back on many years of musical history. When the “Philharmonic Orchestra” and the “Orchestra of the Hamburg Municipal Theatre” merged in 1934, two tradition-steeped orchestras combined. Philharmonic concerts have been performed in Hamburg since 1828, artists such as Clara Schumann, Franz Liszt and Johannes Brahms being regular guests of the Philharmonic Society. The history of the opera company goes back even further: Hamburg has been home to musical theatre since 1678, even if a regular opera or theatre orchestra was only formed later. To this day, the Philharmonic State Orchestra has embodied the sound of the Hansa City, a concert and opera orchestra in one.
During its long history, the orchestra encountered great artist personalities. Apart from composers of the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries, such as Telemann, Tchaikovsky, Strauss, Mahler, Prokofiev and Stravinsky, since the 20th century chief conductors such as Karl Muck, Joseph Keilberth, Eugen Jochum, Wolfgang Sawallisch, Horst Stein, Aldo Ceccato, Christoph von Dohnányi, Gerd Albrecht, Ingo Metzmacher and Simone Young have shaped the orchestra’s sound. Renowned conductors of the pre-war era such as Otto Klemperer, Wilhelm Furtwängler, Bruno Walter, Karl Böhm and Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt gave brilliant performances, as did outstanding conductors of our times: suffice it to mention Christian Thielemann, Semyon Bychkov, Kirill Petrenko, Sir Neville Marriner, Valery Gergiev and Sir Roger Norrington.
Starting with the 2015/2016 season, Kent Nagano has taken on the position of Hamburg’s General Music Director and Chief Conductor of the Philharmonic State Orchestra and the Hamburg State Opera. In his first season Kent Nagano initiated a new project, the Philharmonic Academy, focusing on experimentation and chamber music. In 2016 Nagano and the Philharmonic undertook a successful three-week concert tour in South America, a tour of Spain followed in 2019. Since 2017 Kent Nagano and the Philharmonic State Orchestra have continued the traditional Philharmonic Concerts at the new Elbphilharmonie, for which they commissioned Jörg Widmann to compose the oratorio ARCHE, which was given its world premiere during the hall’s opening festivities. The concert recording has been released at ECM.
The Philharmonic State Orchestra offers approximately 35 concerts per season and performs more than 240 performances per year at the Hamburg State Opera and the Hamburg Ballet John Neumeier, making it Hamburg’s busiest orchestra. The stylistic bandwidth covered by the 140 musicians, ranging from historically informed performance practice to contemporary works and including concert, opera and ballet repertoire, is unique throughout Germany. Chamber Music has a long tradition at the Philharmonic State Orchestra: what began in 1929 with a concert series for chamber orchestra has been continued since 1968 by a series of chamber music only.
In 2008 Simone Young and the Philharmonic State Orchestra won the Brahms Award of the Schleswig-Holstein Brahms Society. The orchestra has recorded the complete Ring by Wagner as well as the complete symphonies of Johannes Brahms and Anton Bruckner – the latter in the rarely-performed original versions – as well as works by Mahler, Hindemith and Berg, and has released DVDs of opera and ballet productions by Hosokawa, Offenbach, Reimann, Auerbach, J.S. Bach, Puccini, Poulenc and Weber.
The members of the Philharmonic State Orchestra feel equally beholden to Hamburg’s musical tradition and responsible for the city’s artistic future. Since 1978 the musicians have been participating in education programmes in Hamburg’s schools. Today, the orchestra maintains a broad education programme, including school and kindergarten visits, patronage for music projects, introductory events for children and family concerts. The orchestra’s own academy prepares young musicians for their professional careers. The Philharmonic’s musicians thereby make an equally enjoyable and valuable contribution to tomorrow’s music education in the music metropolis of Hamburg.
More about Philharmonisches Staatsorchester Hamburg
photo: Foto: Felix Broede
