Hamburger Symphoniker
Encyclopedia
The Hamburger Symphoniker (Hamburg Symphony Orchestra) is a German
orchestra
based in Hamburg, Germany. Founded in 1957, it is one of the city's three largest orchestras. The Hamburg Symphony Orchestra is the orchestra in residence in the Laeiszhalle
, the Hamburg Music Hall.
The Hamburg Symphony Orchestra gave its first concert on 16 October 1957 under the direction of its first chief conductor, Robert Heger
. Heger served in the post until 1961. His successors included Carlos Kalmar
(1987-1991), Miguel Gómez-Martinez (1992-1999), and Yoav Talmi
(2000-2004). Principal guest conductors have included István Kertész. Andrey Boreyko was principal conductor from 2004 until his sudden resignation in the autumn of 2007. In October 2007, the orchestra announced the appointment of Jeffrey Tate
as its next chief conductor, as of the spring of 2008.
The orchestra has worked with conductors such as Charles Mackerras
, Christian Thielemann
, Peter Ruzicka
, Horst Stein
, Ralf Weikert and Sebastian Weigle. Some of the world’s finest soloists, such as Christian Tetzlaff
, Elisabeth Leonskaja
, Frank Peter Zimmermann
, Edita Gruberova
, Placido Domingo
and Grace Bumbry
, have made guest appearances with the orchestra over the last years.
The Hamburg Symphony regularly plays some twenty operas and ballets each season at the Hamburg State Opera House. The orchestra has made international tours to countries including Great Britain, Italy, France, Spain, Scandinavia, Poland and Turkey. The orchestra also offers subscription series of children’s concerts, and annual open-air concerts held in the central courtyard of Hamburg’s town hall.
Recordings with the Hamburg Symphony Orchestra have appeared on Dabringshaus und Grimm, edel classics and Deutsche Grammophon
(Deutscher Schallplattenpreis ECHO Klassik).
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
orchestra
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
based in Hamburg, Germany. Founded in 1957, it is one of the city's three largest orchestras. The Hamburg Symphony Orchestra is the orchestra in residence in the Laeiszhalle
Laeiszhalle
The Laeiszhalle is a concert hall in Hamburg, Germany and home to the Hamburger Symphoniker.The hall is named after the German shipowning company F. Laeisz, founder of the concert venue and was planned by the architect Martin Haller.-External links:...
, the Hamburg Music Hall.
The Hamburg Symphony Orchestra gave its first concert on 16 October 1957 under the direction of its first chief conductor, Robert Heger
Robert Heger
Robert Heger was a German conductor and composer from Strasbourg, Alsace-Lorraine.He studied at the Conservatory of Strasbourg, under Franz Stockhausen, then in Zurich under Lothar Kempter, and finally in Munich under Max von Schillings. After early conducting engagements in Strasbourg he made his...
. Heger served in the post until 1961. His successors included Carlos Kalmar
Carlos Kalmar
Carlos Kalmar is a Uruguayan conductor. He began violin studies at age six. At age fifteen, he enrolled at the Vienna Academy of Music where his conducting teacher was Karl Österreicher...
(1987-1991), Miguel Gómez-Martinez (1992-1999), and Yoav Talmi
Yoav Talmi
Yoav Talmi is an Israeli conductor and composer. He studied composition and orchestral direction first in Israel, at the Rubin Academy of Music in Tel Aviv, and then in the United States, at the Juilliard School. In 1966, he was awarded the Koussevitzky Conducting Prize at the Tanglewood Music...
(2000-2004). Principal guest conductors have included István Kertész. Andrey Boreyko was principal conductor from 2004 until his sudden resignation in the autumn of 2007. In October 2007, the orchestra announced the appointment of Jeffrey Tate
Jeffrey Tate
Dr Jeffrey Tate CBE is an English conductor.Tate was born with spina bifida, and also has kyphosis. His family moved to Farnham, Surrey when he was young and he attended Farnham Grammar School between 1954 and 1961 gaining a State Scholarship to Cambridge University, where he directed theatre...
as its next chief conductor, as of the spring of 2008.
The orchestra has worked with conductors such as Charles Mackerras
Charles Mackerras
Sir Alan Charles Maclaurin Mackerras, AC, CH, CBE was an Australian conductor. He was an authority on the operas of Janáček and Mozart, and the comic operas of Gilbert and Sullivan...
, Christian Thielemann
Christian Thielemann
-Career:Thielemann studied viola and piano at the Hochschule für Musik in Berlin and took private lessons in composition and conducting before becoming répétiteur aged 19 at the Deutsche Oper Berlin with Heinrich Hollreiser and working as Herbert von Karajan's assistant...
, Peter Ruzicka
Peter Ruzicka
Peter Ruzicka is a German composer and conductor of classical music.Peter Ruzicka was born in Düsseldorf on July 3, 1948. He received his early musical training at the Hamburg Conservatory. He studied composition with Hans Werner Henze and Hans Otte...
, Horst Stein
Horst Stein
Horst Walter Stein was a German conductor.- Biography :...
, Ralf Weikert and Sebastian Weigle. Some of the world’s finest soloists, such as Christian Tetzlaff
Christian Tetzlaff
-Biography:Tetzlaff was born in Hamburg. He began playing the violin and piano at the age of 6, and made his concert debut at 14 years old. He studied with Uwe-Martin Haiberg at the Musikhochschule Lübeck and with Walter Levine at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.He is...
, Elisabeth Leonskaja
Elisabeth Leonskaja
Elisabeth Leonskaja is a noted Georgian pianist and teacher. She was born on November 23, 1945 to a Russian family living in Tbilisi, then the capital of the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic....
, Frank Peter Zimmermann
Frank Peter Zimmermann
Frank Peter Zimmermann is a German violinist.He was born in Duisburg, Germany, and started playing the violin when he was five years old, giving his first concert with orchestra at the age of 10....
, Edita Gruberova
Edita Gruberová
Edita Gruberová , is a Slovak soprano who is one of the most acclaimed coloraturas of recent decades. She is noted for her great tonal clarity, agility, dramatic interpretation, and ability to sing high notes with great power, which made her an ideal Queen of the Night in her early years...
, Placido Domingo
Plácido Domingo
Plácido Domingo KBE , born José Plácido Domingo Embil, is a Spanish tenor and conductor known for his versatile and strong voice, possessing a ringing and dramatic tone throughout its range...
and Grace Bumbry
Grace Bumbry
Grace Bumbry , an American opera singer, is considered one of the leading mezzo-sopranos of her generation, as well as a major soprano for many years...
, have made guest appearances with the orchestra over the last years.
The Hamburg Symphony regularly plays some twenty operas and ballets each season at the Hamburg State Opera House. The orchestra has made international tours to countries including Great Britain, Italy, France, Spain, Scandinavia, Poland and Turkey. The orchestra also offers subscription series of children’s concerts, and annual open-air concerts held in the central courtyard of Hamburg’s town hall.
Recordings with the Hamburg Symphony Orchestra have appeared on Dabringshaus und Grimm, edel classics and Deutsche Grammophon
Deutsche Grammophon
Deutsche Grammophon is a German classical record label which was the foundation of the future corporation to be known as PolyGram. It is now part of Universal Music Group since its acquisition and absorption of PolyGram in 1999, and it is also UMG's oldest active label...
(Deutscher Schallplattenpreis ECHO Klassik).
Chief conductors
- Robert HegerRobert HegerRobert Heger was a German conductor and composer from Strasbourg, Alsace-Lorraine.He studied at the Conservatory of Strasbourg, under Franz Stockhausen, then in Zurich under Lothar Kempter, and finally in Munich under Max von Schillings. After early conducting engagements in Strasbourg he made his...
(1957-1961) - Gabor Ötvös (1961-1967)
- Wilfried Boettcher (1967-1971)
- Heribert BeisselHeribert BeisselHeribert Beissel is a German orchestral conductor. He is perhaps best known for conducting works by 19th century Romantic composers, such as Chopin. His discography covers composers from Bach to Debussy. He is an alumnus of the Hochschule für Musik Köln where he studied conducting with Günther...
(1972-1986) - Carlos KalmarCarlos KalmarCarlos Kalmar is a Uruguayan conductor. He began violin studies at age six. At age fifteen, he enrolled at the Vienna Academy of Music where his conducting teacher was Karl Österreicher...
(1987-1991) - Miguel Gómez-MartínezMiguel Angel Gómez MartínezMiguel Ángel Gómez Martínez is a Spanish conductor.-External links:**...
(1992-1999) - Yoav TalmiYoav TalmiYoav Talmi is an Israeli conductor and composer. He studied composition and orchestral direction first in Israel, at the Rubin Academy of Music in Tel Aviv, and then in the United States, at the Juilliard School. In 1966, he was awarded the Koussevitzky Conducting Prize at the Tanglewood Music...
(2000-2004) - Andrey BoreykoAndrey BoreykoAndrey Boreyko is a Russian conductor. At the Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatory in Saint Petersburg, he studied conducting , graduating summa cum laude...
(2004-2007) - Jeffrey TateJeffrey TateDr Jeffrey Tate CBE is an English conductor.Tate was born with spina bifida, and also has kyphosis. His family moved to Farnham, Surrey when he was young and he attended Farnham Grammar School between 1954 and 1961 gaining a State Scholarship to Cambridge University, where he directed theatre...
(2009-present)