Munich Chamber Orchestra
Encyclopedia
The Munich Chamber Orchestra () is a professional chamber orchestra in Munich
, Germany, known for programming contemporary music
along with the classical
repertory.
was the artistic director from 1956 to 1995. He conducted the orchestra in more than 4000 concerts, also on international tours and in collaboration with the Bayerischer Rundfunk
. From 1995 to 2006, Christoph Poppen
conducted the ensemble. Since 2006, Alexander Liebreich has been the principal conductor and artistic director. The orchestra is located at the Prinzregententheater
. The string orchestra
's current members are 15 violin
ists, four viola
players, five cellists
and two double bass
players.
including premieres. Some concerts are held without a conductor
; two principal violinists share that function. The orchestra is interested in collaborating with specialists for historically informed performance
s and with guest conductors, such as Heinz Holliger
, Dennis Russell Davies
, Anu Tali
and Reinhard Goebel
. Soloists have included Kim Kashkashian
, Sabine Meyer
, Christian Gerhaher
, Juliane Banse
, Viktoria Mullova
, Heinrich Schiff
and Lars Vogt
. Each year, a theme connects the concerts at the Prinzregententheater. In the 2010/11 season, it is "Music and Architecture". In 2003, the orchestra established a new concert series in the Pinakothek der Moderne
, entitled "", concentrating on the works of one contemporary composer. In 2011 it was dedicated to Karl Amadeus Hartmann
.
, Martin Jaggi, Thomas Larcher
, Iannis Xenakis
and Wolfgang Rihm
, among others. In 1971 the orchestra premiered Wilhelm Killmayer
's fin al punto, composed for its 20th anniversary. The and the commissioned Jörg Widmann
's ad absurdum, "Konzertstück für Trompete in B und kleines Orchester" (concert piece for trumpet and small orchestra),which premiered on 18 January 2006 with soloist Sergei Nakariakov
. In 2010 the orchestra premiered Peter Ruzicka
’s TRANS.
for piano and orchestra with Till Fellner
, for viola and chamber orchestra with Kim Kashkashian
, conducted by Dennis Russell Davies
.
, the Ernst von Siemens Förderpreis
in 2001 to 2003. In 2008, the Bayerische Akademie der Schönen Künste
awarded the prize Neues Hören (New Listening) of the foundation Neue Musik im Dialog (New Music Dialogue) for the successful delivery of contemporary music to the chamber orchestra.
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, Germany, known for programming contemporary music
Contemporary classical music
Contemporary classical music can be understood as belonging to the period that started in the mid-1970s with the retreat of modernism. However, the term may also be employed in a broader sense to refer to all post-1945 modern musical forms.-Categorization:...
along with the classical
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
repertory.
History
The (MKO) was founded in 1950 by Christoph Stepp. Hans StadlmairHans Stadlmair
Hans Stadlmair is an Austrian conductor and composer. He conducted the Münchener Kammerorchester for almost four decades.-Professional career:...
was the artistic director from 1956 to 1995. He conducted the orchestra in more than 4000 concerts, also on international tours and in collaboration with the Bayerischer Rundfunk
Bayerischer Rundfunk
Bayerischer Rundfunk [Bavarian Broadcasting] is the public broadcasting authority for the German Freistaat of Bavaria, with its main offices located in Munich. BR is a member of ARD.- Legal foundation :...
. From 1995 to 2006, Christoph Poppen
Christoph Poppen
Christoph Poppen is a German conductor, violinist and academic teacher.-Professional career:As a violinist, Poppen was awarded first prize in the Kocian Violin Competition age 14...
conducted the ensemble. Since 2006, Alexander Liebreich has been the principal conductor and artistic director. The orchestra is located at the Prinzregententheater
Prinzregententheater
The Prinzregententheater, or Prince Regent's Theatre, is a theatre and opera house located at 12 Prinzregentenplatz in the Bavarian city of Munich, Germany.- Building and History :...
. The string orchestra
String orchestra
A string orchestra is an orchestra composed solely or primarily of instruments from the string family. These instruments are the violin, the viola, the cello, the double bass , the piano, the harp, and sometimes percussion...
's current members are 15 violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
ists, four viola
Viola
The viola is a bowed string instrument. It is the middle voice of the violin family, between the violin and the cello.- Form :The viola is similar in material and construction to the violin. A full-size viola's body is between and longer than the body of a full-size violin , with an average...
players, five cellists
Cello
The cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
and two double bass
Double bass
The double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2...
players.
Program
The repertory of the is based on classical works, expanded by contemporary musicContemporary classical music
Contemporary classical music can be understood as belonging to the period that started in the mid-1970s with the retreat of modernism. However, the term may also be employed in a broader sense to refer to all post-1945 modern musical forms.-Categorization:...
including premieres. Some concerts are held without a conductor
Conductorless orchestra
The conductorless orchestra, sometimes referred to as a self-conducted orchestra or unconducted orchestra, is an instrumental ensemble that functions as an orchestra but is not led or directed by a conductor. Most conductorless orchestras are smaller in size, and generally perform chamber orchestra...
; two principal violinists share that function. The orchestra is interested in collaborating with specialists for historically informed performance
Historically informed performance
Historically informed performance is an approach in the performance of music and theater. Within this approach, the performance adheres to state-of-the-art knowledge of the aesthetic criteria of the period in which the music or theatre work was conceived...
s and with guest conductors, such as Heinz Holliger
Heinz Holliger
Heinz Holliger Heinz Holliger Heinz Holliger (born 21 May 1939 is a Swiss oboist, composer and conductor.-Biography:He was born in Langenthal, Switzerland, and began his musical education at the conservatories of Bern and Basel. He studied composition with Sándor Veress and Pierre Boulez...
, Dennis Russell Davies
Dennis Russell Davies
Dennis Russell Davies is an American conductor and pianist. He studied piano and conducting at the Juilliard School where he received his doctorate...
, Anu Tali
Anu Tali
Anu Tali is an Estonian conductor. She started her musical training as a pianist, and graduated from the Tallinn Music High School in 1991. She continued her studies in the Estonian Music Academy as a conductor with Kuno Areng, Toomas Kapten and Roman Matsov. From 1998 to 2000, she studied at...
and Reinhard Goebel
Reinhard Goebel
Reinhard Goebel is a German conductor and violinist specialising in early music on authentic instruments. Goebel received his first violin lessons at the age of twelve...
. Soloists have included Kim Kashkashian
Kim Kashkashian
Kim Kashkashian is an Armenian-American violist.-Professional career:Kim Kashkashian studied the viola with Karen Tuttle. She also studied at the Interlochen Center for the Arts. She won the 2nd prize at the 1980 Lionel Tertis International Viola Competition and the 1980 ARD International Music...
, Sabine Meyer
Sabine Meyer
Sabine Meyer is a German classical clarinetist.-Biography:Meyer began playing the clarinet at an early age. Her first teacher was her father, also a clarinetist...
, Christian Gerhaher
Christian Gerhaher
Christian Gerhaher is a German baritone and bass singer in opera, concert and notably Lied.- Biography :Christian Gerhaher studied with Paul Kuen and Raimund Grumbach at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater München, and Lied with Friedemann Berger, already together with his accompanist for decades...
, Juliane Banse
Juliane Banse
Juliane Banse is a German soprano and noted lieder singer. She received her vocal training at the Zürich Opera, and with Brigitte Fassbaender in Munich. She won First Prize in the singing competition of the Kulturforum in Munich in 1989. In 1989, she made her operatic debut as Pamina in Mozart's...
, Viktoria Mullova
Viktoria Mullova
Viktoria Yurievna Mullova is a Russian violinist. She is best known for her performances and recordings of a number of violin concerti, compositions by J.S. Bach, and her innovative interpretations of popular and jazz compositions by Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, The Beatles, and...
, Heinrich Schiff
Heinrich Schiff
Heinrich Schiff is an Austrian cellist and conductor. He studied cello with Tobias Kühne and André Navarra and made his solo debut in Vienna and London in 1971...
and Lars Vogt
Lars Vogt
-Career:Lars Vogt studied at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hannover with Karl-Heinz Kämmerling. He rose to prominence after winning second prize at the 1990 Leeds International Piano Competition and has since gone on to give major concerto and recital performances. In the 2003/04 season he...
. Each year, a theme connects the concerts at the Prinzregententheater. In the 2010/11 season, it is "Music and Architecture". In 2003, the orchestra established a new concert series in the Pinakothek der Moderne
Pinakothek der Moderne
The Pinakothek der Moderne is a modern art museum, situated in the city centre of Munich, Germany. Together with its two predecessors Alte Pinakothek and Neue Pinakothek The Pinakothek der Moderne (= "(Art) Gallery of the Modern"; from Greek: "pinax" = "board", "tablet") is a modern art museum,...
, entitled "", concentrating on the works of one contemporary composer. In 2011 it was dedicated to Karl Amadeus Hartmann
Karl Amadeus Hartmann
Karl Amadeus Hartmann was a German composer. Some have lauded him as the greatest German symphonist of the 20th century, although he is now largely overlooked, particularly in English-speaking countries.-Life:...
.
Premieres
The has regularly commissioned music of composers such as Erkki-Sven TüürErkki-Sven Tüür
Erkki-Sven Tüür is an Estonian composer.Tüür was born in Kärdla on the Estonian island of Hiiumaa. He studied flute and percussion at the Tallinn Music School from 1976 to 1980 and composition with Jaan Rääts at the Tallinn Academy of Music and privately with Lepo Sumera from 1980 to 1984...
, Martin Jaggi, Thomas Larcher
Thomas Larcher
Thomas Larcher is an Austrian composer and pianist.- Education, work as a pianist:Thomas Larcher completed his studies at the University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna under Heinz Medjimorec and Elisabeth Leonskaja , and Erich Urbanner...
, Iannis Xenakis
Iannis Xenakis
Iannis Xenakis was a Romanian-born Greek ethnic, naturalized French composer, music theorist, and architect-engineer. He is commonly recognized as one of the most important post-war avant-garde composers...
and Wolfgang Rihm
Wolfgang Rihm
Wolfgang Rihm is a German composer.Rihm is Head of the Institute of Modern Music at the Karlsruhe Conservatory of Music and has been composer in residence at the Lucerne Festival and the Salzburg Festival...
, among others. In 1971 the orchestra premiered Wilhelm Killmayer
Wilhelm Killmayer
Wilhelm Killmayer is a German composer of classical music and an academic.-Professional career:Wilhelm Killmayer studied conducting and composition from 1945 to 1951 in Munich at Hermann Wolfgang von Waltershausen’s Musikseminar...
's fin al punto, composed for its 20th anniversary. The and the commissioned Jörg Widmann
Jörg Widmann
Jörg Widmann is a German composer and clarinetist. He lives and works in Munich and Freiburg.- Education and career :...
's ad absurdum, "Konzertstück für Trompete in B und kleines Orchester" (concert piece for trumpet and small orchestra),which premiered on 18 January 2006 with soloist Sergei Nakariakov
Sergei Nakariakov
Sergei Mikhailovich Nakariakov is a Russian virtuoso trumpeter who came to prominence in the late 1990s. He released his first CD recording in 1992 at the age of 15.-Recordings:...
. In 2010 the orchestra premiered 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...
’s TRANS.
Selected recordings
The has mainly recorded with the Edition of Contemporary Music (ECM). In 2009 they recorded Madhares, works of Thomas LarcherThomas Larcher
Thomas Larcher is an Austrian composer and pianist.- Education, work as a pianist:Thomas Larcher completed his studies at the University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna under Heinz Medjimorec and Elisabeth Leonskaja , and Erich Urbanner...
for piano and orchestra with Till Fellner
Till Fellner
- Biography :Pianist Till Fellner was born in Vienna and studied at the Konservatorium der Stadt Wien with Helene Sedo-Stadler, and subsequently with Alfred Brendel, Meira Farkas, Oleg Maisenberg and Claus-Christian Schuster. He won first prize in the Clara Haskil International Piano Competition...
, for viola and chamber orchestra with Kim Kashkashian
Kim Kashkashian
Kim Kashkashian is an Armenian-American violist.-Professional career:Kim Kashkashian studied the viola with Karen Tuttle. She also studied at the Interlochen Center for the Arts. She won the 2nd prize at the 1980 Lionel Tertis International Viola Competition and the 1980 ARD International Music...
, conducted by Dennis Russell Davies
Dennis Russell Davies
Dennis Russell Davies is an American conductor and pianist. He studied piano and conducting at the Juilliard School where he received his doctorate...
.
- 1997 Bach: St John Passion, Karl-Friedrich Beringer, Windsbach Boys ChoirWindsbach Boys ChoirThe Windsbach Boys Choir is a German choir of boys and young men in Windsbach, Germany.-History:Founded in 1946 by Hans Thamm und since 1978 under the direction of Karl-Friedrich Beringer, the choir is one of the most renowned boys choirs of the world...
, Markus Schäfer (EvangelistEvangelist (Bach)The Evangelist in the music of Johann Sebastian Bach is the tenor part in his oratorios and Passions who narrates the exact words of the Bible, translated by Martin Luther, in recitative, namely in the works St John Passion, St Matthew Passion, and the Christmas Oratorio, also in the St Mark...
), Hans Griepentrog (Vox ChristiVox ChristiVox Christi, Latin for Voice of Christ, is a term for the bass voice representing Jesus in the music of Johann Sebastian Bach and others. This part appears prominently in Bach's Passions...
), Christiane OelzeChristiane OelzeChristiane Oelze is a German soprano. From 2003 to 2008 she taught singing at the Robert Schumann Hochschule Düsseldorf.- External links :* *...
, Monica GroopMonica GroopMonica Groop is a Finnish operatic mezzo-soprano. After graduating from the Sibelius Academy, she joined the Finnish National Opera in 1986 where she remains a member...
, Michael Volle, Bayer Records - 1999 Karl Amadeus HartmannKarl Amadeus HartmannKarl Amadeus Hartmann was a German composer. Some have lauded him as the greatest German symphonist of the 20th century, although he is now largely overlooked, particularly in English-speaking countries.-Life:...
: Funèbre, with Isabelle Faust (violin), Paul MeyerPaul Meyer (clarinetist)Paul Meyer is a French clarinetist.Meyer is possibly the most well-known contemporary solo clarinetist from France. He is known for his solo recordings on the Denon label, notably in collaborations with Jean-Pierre Rampal and Eric Le Sage. He studied at the Paris Conservatoire and at the Basler...
, Petersen String Quartet - 2001 Tigran MansurianTigran MansurianTigran Mansurian is an Armenian composer of classical music and film scores. He was born in Beirut and educated in Yerevan, Armenia, where his family had moved in 1947...
: Monodia, with Kim KashkashianKim KashkashianKim Kashkashian is an Armenian-American violist.-Professional career:Kim Kashkashian studied the viola with Karen Tuttle. She also studied at the Interlochen Center for the Arts. She won the 2nd prize at the 1980 Lionel Tertis International Viola Competition and the 1980 ARD International Music...
, Leonidas KavakosLeonidas KavakosLeonidas Kavakos is a Greek virtuoso violinist .-Beginnings:Born in Athens into a musical family, Kavakos began studying violin at five years old and continued his studies at the Hellenic Conservatory with Stelios Kafantaris. An Onassis Foundation scholarship enabled him to attend master classes...
, Jan GarbarekJan GarbarekJan Garbarek is a Norwegian tenor and soprano saxophonist, active in the jazz, classical, and world music genres. Garbarek was born in Mysen, Norway, the only child of a former Polish prisoner of war Czesław Garbarek and a Norwegian farmer's daughter...
, Hilliard EnsembleHilliard EnsembleThe Hilliard Ensemble is a British male vocal quartet originally devoted to the performance of early music. Founded in 1974, the group is named after the Elizabethan miniaturist painter Nicholas Hilliard.... - 2001 BachJohann Sebastian BachJohann Sebastian Bach was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity...
/ WebernAnton WebernAnton Webern was an Austrian composer and conductor. He was a member of the Second Viennese School. As a student and significant follower of Arnold Schoenberg, he became one of the best-known exponents of the twelve-tone technique; in addition, his innovations regarding schematic organization of...
: Ricercar, including Bach cantataBach cantataBach cantata became a term for a cantata of the German Baroque composer Johann Sebastian Bach who was a prolific writer of the genre. Although many of his works are lost, around 200 cantatas survived....
Christ lag in Todes Banden, BWV 4, with the Hilliard EnsembleHilliard EnsembleThe Hilliard Ensemble is a British male vocal quartet originally devoted to the performance of early music. Founded in 1974, the group is named after the Elizabethan miniaturist painter Nicholas Hilliard.... - 2001 Sofia GubaidulinaSofia GubaidulinaSofia Asgatovna Gubaidulina, is a Russian composer of half Russian, half Tatar ethnicity.Gubaidulina's music is marked by the use of unusual instrumental combinations...
: Sieben Worte / Zehn Präludien / De Profundis, with Elsbeth Moser (bayanBayan (accordion)The bayan is a type of chromatic button accordion developed in Russia in the early 20th century and named after 11th-century bard Boyan.-Characteristics:The bayan differs from western chromatic button accordions in some details of construction:...
), Boris Pergamentschikow (cello) - 2005 Giacinto ScelsiGiacinto ScelsiGiacinto Scelsi , Count of Ayala Valva was an Italian composer who also wrote surrealist poetry in French....
: Natura Renovatur, with Frances-Marie UittiFrances-Marie UittiFrances-Marie Uitti is composer and cellist known for her performances of the most esoteric and virtuoso contemporary classical music. She was born in Chicago to Finnish parents, and she studied classical music at Meadowmount with Ronald Leonard and Josef Gingold, Boston University with Leslie... - 2005 Barry GuyBarry GuyBarry John Guy is a British composer and double bass player. His range of interests encompasses early music, contemporary composition, jazz and improvisation, and he has worked with a wide variety of orchestras in the UK and Europe...
: Folio, with Maya Homburger (baroque violin), Muriel Cantoreggi (violin), Barry Guy (double bass) - 2006 Valentin SilvestrovValentin SilvestrovValentyn Vasylyovych Sylvestrov is a Ukrainian pianist and composer of contemporary classical music.-Education:Sylvestrov began private music lessons at age 15...
: Bagatellen und Serenaden, with Valentin Silvestrov and Alexei LubimovAlexei LubimovAlexei Lubimov is a Russian pianist, fortepianist and harpsichordist.Alexei Lubimov studied at the Moscow Conservatory with Heinrich Neuhaus and Lew Naumov...
(piano) - 2008 HaydnJoseph HaydnFranz Joseph Haydn , known as Joseph Haydn , was an Austrian composer, one of the most prolific and prominent composers of the Classical period. He is often called the "Father of the Symphony" and "Father of the String Quartet" because of his important contributions to these forms...
/ YunIsang YunIsang Yun was a Korean-German composer originally from Korea. According to his official publisher's Boosey & Hawkes biography of him, he was granted political asylum by West Germany, eventually becoming a naturalised German citizen, following his abduction and torture in 1967 by the South Korean...
: Farewell
Awards
The was awarded the Musikpreis der Landeshauptstadt München (music prize of the state capital, Munich) in 2000, the prize for the best concert programming from the Deutscher Musikverleger-Verband (German association of music publishers) for the seasons 2001/02 and 2005/06, the Cannes Classical Award in 2002, the prize of the Christoph und Stephan Kaske Foundation in 2002 with Christoph PoppenChristoph Poppen
Christoph Poppen is a German conductor, violinist and academic teacher.-Professional career:As a violinist, Poppen was awarded first prize in the Kocian Violin Competition age 14...
, the Ernst von Siemens Förderpreis
Ernst von Siemens Music Prize
The international Ernst von Siemens Music Prize is an annual music prize given by the Bayerische Akademie der Schönen Künste on behalf of the Ernst von Siemens Musikstiftung , established in 1972. The foundation was established by Ernst von Siemens...
in 2001 to 2003. In 2008, the Bayerische Akademie der Schönen Künste
Bayerische Akademie der Schönen Künste
Bayerische Akademie der Schönen Künste in München is an association of renowned personalities in Munich, Bavaria. It was founded by the Free State of Bavaria in 1948, continuinf a tradition established in 1808 by the Royal Academy of Arts in Munich.The academy organizes panel discussions,...
awarded the prize Neues Hören (New Listening) of the foundation Neue Musik im Dialog (New Music Dialogue) for the successful delivery of contemporary music to the chamber orchestra.
External links
- MKO website
- Munich Chamber Orchestra Allmusic
- Munich Chamber Orchestra IMG Artists
- Münchener Kammerorchester (Chamber Orchestra) bach-cantatas.com
- Neue Saison im "Jenseits" klassikinfo.de 2009
- Münchener Kammerorchester unter Christoph Poppen mit dem Preis für das Beste Konzertprogramm der Saison ausgezeichnet Deutscher Musikverleger-Verband 22 May 2006
- "MKO moves" Münchener Kammerorchester spielt zum Tanz Bayerischer RundfunkBayerischer RundfunkBayerischer Rundfunk [Bavarian Broadcasting] is the public broadcasting authority for the German Freistaat of Bavaria, with its main offices located in Munich. BR is a member of ARD.- Legal foundation :...
12 June 2010 - Video of Haydn's Cello Concerto No. 1 in C Major, Hob. VIIb/1 – Moderato, with Trey Lee Chui-yeeTrey Lee Chui-yeeTrey Chui-yee Lee is an internationally renowned cellist. He was born in Hong Kong in the 1970s, but grew up in the United States of America. He attended the Juilliard Music School, majoring in cello. Afterwards, he went to Harvard University, to major in Economics...
, Hong Kong, 26 October 2010