MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra

MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra
Orchestra
Native name MDR Sinfonieorchester
Founded 1923
Location Leipzig, Germany
Concert hall Gewandhaus
Music director vacant
Website www.mdr.de/konzerte/artikel111394.html

The MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra (in German simply the MDR Sinfonieorchester) is a German radio orchestra based in Leipzig. It is the radio orchestra of Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk, the public broadcaster for the German states of Thuringia, Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt. It is one of the oldest Radio orchestras in the world and the oldest in Germany. It was founded in Leipzig, Germany in 1923 (9 months earlier than the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra). Apart from a short interruption during World War II, it has been the main orchestra of the Central German Broadcasting Company (MDR) since 1924. The orchestra performs concerts in Leipzig at the Gewandhaus.

History

The orchestra was founded as "Orchester des Konzertvereins" ("Orchestra of the Concert Society"). It became the "Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Leipzig" ("Radio Symphony Orchestra Leipzig") in 1924 and later adopted its present name. The Orchestra was dissolved during World War II and reunited in 1946 under the tenure of the conductor Hermann Abendroth, later conducted by Herbert Kegel. During the late 1970s through the 1980s, the principal conductors were Wolf-Dieter Hauschild and Max Pommer.

In 1992, the Rundfunk Symphony Orchestra merged with the Radio Philharmonic in Leipzig to form the MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra. Daniel Nazareth was the first Music Director of the newly formed MDR Symphony Orchestra after the German reunification. The orchestra's last chief conductor was Kristjan Järvi. He is scheduled to conclude his tenure with the orchestra at the close of the 2017-2018 season.[1]

Ensembles

Chamber music ensembles of the MDR Symphony Orchestra

  • Arcato Streichquartett (since 1999)
  • Döring-Bläserquintett (since 1982)
  • Kammersymphonie Leipzig (since 2006)
  • Leipziger Hornquartett (since 1996)
  • Leipziger Schlagzeugensemble] (since 1983)
  • Leipziger Blechbläsersolisten (since 1992)
  • MDR Bläserquintett (since 1995)

Other ensembles

  • Gruppe Neue Musik Hanns Eisler] (1970–1993)
  • Ensemble Sortisatio] (since 1992)

Principal conductors

World premieres

This is a list of famous world premieres for the orchestra:[2]

References

  1. ↑ "WSO Letzte Spielzeit für Kristjan Järvi" (Press release). MDR. 22 March 2017. Retrieved 2017-04-08.
  2. ↑ Clemen/Lieberwirth 1999, pp. 185ff.

Sources

  • Jörg Clemen; Steffen Lieberwirth: Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk. Die Geschichte des Sinfonieorchesters. Verlag Klaus-Jürgen Kamprad, Altenburg 1999, ISBN 3-930550-09-1
  • MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra website
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