ENSEMBLES - ANDREAS RICHTER – CULTURAL CONSULTING

SWR Symphonieorchester

The SWR Symphonieorchester has its artistic home in the Liederhalle Stuttgart and the Konzerthaus Freiburg. Formed in September 2016 from the merger of the SWR Radio Symphony Orchestra Stuttgart and the SWR Symphony Orchestra Baden-Baden and Freiburg, its artistic profile includes interpretative approaches from historically informed performance practice, the classical-romantic core repertoire and contemporary music in equal measure. In September 2025, François-Xavier Roth will take over the position of Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the SWR Symphonyorchester, succeeding Teodor Currentzis, who was at the helm of the orchestra from 2018 to 2024.

Internationally sought-after conductors such as Herbert Blomstedt, Peter Eötvös, Pablo Heras-Casado, Jakub Hrůša, Eliahu Inbal and Giedrė Šlekytė and many others have worked with the SWR Symphonieorchester. Among the high-calibre soloists are Leif Ove Andsnes, Yulianna Avdeeva, Vilde Frang and Christian Tetzlaff. Since September 2024, violinist Patricia Kopatchinskaja has been the SWR Symphony Orchestra’s Artistic Partner for two seasons.

Since 2024, the SWR Symphonieorchester has been an official partner of ‘La Maestra’, the most important international competition for young female conductors.

VIDEO

PRESS

“An outstanding performance by the SWR Symphonieorchester.”

Online Merker, 15 November 2024

“The orchestra gave these delicate, highly differentiated sounds of the soloist an equally colourful resonance chamber of partly calm, partly explosive passages.”

bachtrack, 16 September 2023

SELECTION OF PROJECTS upon request

DOWNLOADS

–SWR Symphonieorchester press photo 1

–SWR Symphonieorchester press photo 2

–Biography (PDF)

Munich Chamber Orchestra

Captivating audiences worldwide with its dynamic programmes, which combine well-known works with new music, the Münchener Kammerorchester (MKO) is famous for its distinct sound as well as for its outstanding level of interpretation. The core ensemble consists of 28 permanent string players from 14 different countries. Flexible in size, the MKO regularly expands its line-up with exceptional guest musicians from elite European orchestras to set interpretative standards in Classical and Romantic repertoire as well as in 21st-century compositions. Openness, curiosity and a passion for unusual formats further characterize the unique profile of the MKO.

In the 2022/23 season the MKO departed from its previous organizational structure with a chief conductor and redefined itself: over a period of several years, it works with the three Associated Conductors Jörg Widmann, Enrico Onofri and Bas Wiegers, who ideally embody the MKO’s extensive artistic spectrum and the unbridled will to probe new dimensions in music from the Baroque era to the present day. Performances under the direction of concertmasters Yuki Kasai and Daniel Giglberger are also an important part of the orchestra’s activities. The MKO regularly collaborates with musicians such as Isabelle Faust, Nicolas Altstaedt, Ilya Gringolts, Vilde Frang, Christian Tetzlaff and Alexander Lonquich.

The MKO places great significance to the dramaturgical conception of its programmes and to the long-term cultivation and further development of the chamber orchestra repertoire. It has commissioned and premiered numerous works: Iannis Xenakis, Wolfgang Rihm, Tan Dun, Georg Friedrich Haas, Pascal Dusapin, Salvatore Sciarrino, Jörg Widmann and other great composers of our time have composed music for the ensemble. ECM Records has released recordings of the MKO performing works by Sofia Gubaidulina, Giacinto Scelsi, Valentin Silvestrov, Toshio Hosokawa, Tigran Mansurian and Thomas Larcher amongst others, as well as a complete recording of Beethoven’s piano concertos with the pianist Alexander Lonquich in autumn 2024. A new collaboration with Enrico Onofri and harmonia mundi kicks off with a recording of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Serenades in early 2025. Numerous other CDs have been released by Sony Classical, Deutsche Grammophon, Warner Classics and NEOS.

VIDEO

PRESS

‘Striking effects, fabulous precision […] Hell, that’s good’

Süddeutsche Zeitung

‘A musical firework display is ignited, brilliant and transparent in its colouring, forward-pushing in its pulse, rich in contrast in its dynamics. [The MKO] unleashes a force that resembles a veritable big bang’

Abendzeitung München

SELECTION OF PROJECTS (2026/27)

–Overview Projects 2025/26 (PDF)

7 – 13 December 2026
Anastasia Kobekina, cello / Enrico Onofri, conductor

J. Haydn: Cello Concerto no. 1 in C major
L. v. Beethoven: Symphonie no. 7 in A major op. 92

Anastasia Kobekina © Lusine Pepanyan // Enrico Onofri © Chico De Luigi

17 – 21 Februar 2027
Christian Tetzlaff, violin / Delyana Lazarova, conductor

M. Ravel: Sonata for violin and piano, arranged by chamber orchestra by Yan Maresz
and other works

Delyana Lazarova © Marco Borggreve

DOWNLOADS

MKO_Pressefoto_1_DanielDelang Münchener Kammerorchester press photo 1

MKO_Bas Wiegers©Florian Ganslmeier Münchener Kammerorchester press photo 1

MKO_2024©Florian Ganslmeier Münchener Kammerorchester press photo 1

MKO_Bio_EN_2425 Biography (PDF)

MKO_Projekte_EN_2627 Projects 2026/27 (PDF)

Festival Strings Lucerne

Since its foundation in 1956, the Festival Strings Lucerne has toured extensively throughout the world. In Europe, the orchestra is a regular guest at leading concert halls: the Vienna Musikverein and the Vienna Konzerthaus, the Berlin Philharmonie and the Konzerthaus Berlin, the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg and the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, the KKL in Lucerne with its own concert series at the KKL Luzern and every year as a guest of the Lucerne Festival.

The repertoire ranges from the Baroque to the present day; the orchestra makes a substantial contribution to the expansion of the string and chamber orchestra repertoire with new arrangements and world premieres of more than a hundred works by composers such as Jean Françaix, Frank Martin, Bohuslav Martinů, Sandor Veress, Iannis Xenakis and Krzystof Penderecki.

VIDEO

PRESS

“Precise in rhythm and timing, precisely balanced with gentle nuances.”

concerti, 09 April 2024

“They breathe together.”

Süddeutsche Zeitung, 07 February 2022

PROJECTS 2026/27

–Project Overview 2026-27 (PDF)

21 – 31 January 2027
RAVEL/MENDELSSOHN-BARTHOLDY
Midori, violin / Daniel Dodds, musical leader and violin

M. Ravel: Le tombeau de Couperin
F. Mendelssohn Bartholdy: Violin concerto in E-minor op. 64
ALTERNATIVELY: P. I. Tchaikovsky: Violin concerto in D-major op. 35

Midori © Nigel Parry

DOWNLOADS

FSL_Pressefoto_2_c_Fabrice_Umiglia Festival Strings Lucerne Pressefoto 1

FSL_Pressefoto_3_c_Fabrice_Umiglia Festival Strings Lucerne Pressefoto 2

Daniel_Dodds_Pressefoto_c_Fabrice_Umiglia Daniel Dodds Pressefoto

–Biography (PDF)

–Projects 2026/27 (PDF)

With ARCC to Italy

In co-operation with Baldrighi Bertoni Music Productions, we offer orchestras and ensembles in Italy. In the past years we have organised, among others

20 August 2023, Ravello Festival
DRESDEN “RING” PROJECT IN HISTORICALLY INFORMED PERFORMANCE PRACTICE
Simon Bailey, Wotan / Mauro Peter, Loge / Dominik Köninger, Donner / Tansel Akzeybek, Froh / Gerhild Romberger, Erda / Annika Schlicht, Fricka / Nadja Mchantaf, Freia / Daniel Schmutzhard, Alberich / Jürgen Sacher, Mime / Ania Vegry, Woglinde / Ida Aldrian, Wellgunde / Christian Immler, Fasolt / Eva Vogel, Flosshilde / Tilmann Rönnebeck, Fafner / Dresdner Festspielorchester & Concerto Köln / Kent Nagano, conductor
R. Wagner: Das Rheingold

2 July 2023 Ravello Festival
ORF Radio-Symphonieorchester Wien / Andrej Boreyko, conductor
R. Wagner: Ouverture to “Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg” / Ouverture to the opera “Rienzi” / Prelude to the opera “Lohengrin” / Prelude to Act 3 Lohengrin / Ouverture to “Der fliegende Holländer” / Symphonic pieces from “Parsifal”

1 July 2021, Ravello Festival 2021 (opening concert)
Mari Kodama, piano / Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin / Kent Nagano, conductor
R. Wagner: “Siegfried Idyll” / L. v. Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 4 in G major / F. Schubert: Symphony No. 3 in D major

25 August 2018, Ravello Festival
Allison Oakes, sorpan / Annika Schlicht, mezzo-soprano / Attilio Glaser, tenor / Thomas Lehman, baritone / Orchestra of the Deutsche Oper Berlin / Donald Runnicles, conductor
R. Wagner: Tannhäuser (Overture, O du mein holder Abendstern, Hallenarie) / Lohengrin (Overture, Gralserzählung) / Wesendonck Lieder / Tristan und Isolde (Preludio, Liebestod)

9 July 2017, Ravello Festival
Arabella Steinbacher, violin / Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester / Kent Nagano, conductor
R. Mendelssohn-Bartholdy: Symphony No. 3 in A minor op. 56 / J. Brahms: Violin Concerto in D major op. 77

11 July 2016, Ravenna Festival
Martin Helmchen, piano / Philharmonisches Staatsorchester Hamburg / Kent Nagano, conductor
L. v. Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 4 in G major / A. Bruckner: Symphony No. 6 in A major

12 September 2014, Sagra Musicale Malatestiana, Rimini
Anna Vinnitskaya, piano / Rundfunksinfonieorchester Berlin / Marek Janowski, conductor
G. Verdi’s overture to “La forza del destino” / L. v. Beethoven: Symphony No. 3 in E flat major op. 55 “Eroica” / S. Rachmaninov: Rhapsody on a theme by Niccolò Paganini for piano and orchestra op. 43

VIDEO

PRESS

“One has rarely experienced such a varied and exciting Wagner evening. Not at all in front of such a harmonious backdrop.”

Musik in Dresden, 21 August 2023

“In Ravello, there is stormy, thunderous enthusiasm at the end.”

Berliner Morgenpost, 1 September 2018

PROJECTS IN ITALY – A SELECTION

20 August 2023, Belvedere di Villa Rufolo, Ravello Festival
DRESDEN “RING” PROJECT IN HISTORICALLY INFORMED PERFORMANCE PRACTICE
with Simon Bailey, Wotan / Mauro Peter, Loge / Dominik Köninger, Donner / Tansel Akzeybek, Froh / Gerhild Romberger, Erda / Annika Schlicht, Fricka / Nadja Mchantaf, Freia / Daniel Schmutzhard, Alberich / Jürgen Sacher, Mime / Ania Vegry, Woglinde / Ida Aldrian, Wellgunde / Christian Immler, Fasolt / Eva Vogel, Flosshilde / Tilmann Rönnebeck, Fafner / Dresdner Festspielorchester & Concerto Köln / Kent Nagano, conductor

Under the overall artistic direction of Kent Nagano and Jan Vogler, the “Ring” theatre trilogy will be reworked from 2023 to 2026 in the context of its time of origin and on the basis of the latest findings of Wagner and performance practice research. With Kent Nagano conducting, Concerto Köln, the Dresden Festival Orchestra and renowned soloists presented the first part on the fantastically beautiful stage of the Villa Rufolo. A project of the Dresden Music Festival under the artistic direction of Kent Nagano and Jan Vogler.

Kent Nagano©Sergio Veranes Studio

Concerto Köln © Sonja Werner

Dresdner Festspielorchester © Sonja Werner

1 July 2021, Ravello Festival 2021
OPENING CONCERT
Mari Kodama, piano / Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin / Kent Nagano, conductor

R. Wagner: “Siegfried Idyll” / L. v. Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 4 in G major / F. Schubert: Symphony No. 3 in D major

Eröffnungskonzert Ravello 2021©DSO

Mari Kodama©Sergio Veranes

Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester©Lea Hopp

Kent Nagano©Sergio Veranes Studio

Orpheus Chamber Orchestra

Orpheus Chamber Orchestra is a radical experiment in musical democracy, proving for fifty years what happens when exceptional artists gather with total trust in each other and faith in the creative process. In that age of co-ops and communes, the idealistic Orpheans snubbed the “corporate” path of symphony orchestras and learned how to play, plan and promote concerts as a true collective, with leadership roles rotating from the very first performance.

The sound of Orpheus is defined by its relationships, and guest artists have always been crucial partners in the process. Orpheus brings the best out of its collaborators, and those bonds deepen over time, as heard in the long arc of music-making with soloists such as Richard Goode and Branford Marsalis, and in the commitment to welcoming next-generation artists including Nobuyuki Tsujii and Tine Thing Helseth. Breaking down the barriers of classical repertoire, partnerships with Brad Mehldau, Wayne Shorter, Ravi Shankar, and many others from the sphere of jazz and beyond have redefined what a chamber orchestra can do.

At home in New York and in the many concert halls it visits in the U.S. and beyond, Orpheus begins its next fifty years with a renewed commitment to enriching and reflecting the surrounding community. It will continue its groundbreaking work with those living with Alzheimer’s Disease through Orpheus Reflections, and the Orpheus Academy as well as the Orpheus Leadership Institute spread the positive lessons of trust and democracy to young musicians and those in positions of power.

“This fully collaborative, almost chamber music approach to music was great.” (Jan Lisiecki)

VIDEO

PRESS

“These are performances that deserve to be remembered.”

Gramophone, 2021

“It whirls, glistens, purrs and sparkles so much it’s a joy.”

concerti, 22 March 2019

“… and once again confirmed the artistry of an excellent orchestra
in big, thick letters.”

bachtrack, 21 April 2015

A SELECTION OF PROJECTS 2026/27

Programmes and projects on request.

February und March 2027
Branford Marsalis, Saxophone

M. Ravel: Très rythmé from String Quartet in F-Dur (arr. Michi Wiancko)
J. Beal: Saxophone Concerto
E. Lecuona: Andalucia, Suite Espagnol (orch. Janina Norpoth)
G. Gershwin: An American in Paris (arr. Javier Diaz)

Orpheus Chamber Orchestra & Branford Marsalis © Chris Lee

DOWNLOADS

–Orpheus Chamber Orchestra press picture 1

–Orpheus Chamber Orchestra press picture 2

–Biography (PDF)

–

Collegium Vocale Gent

Collegium Vocale Gent, founded in 1970 by Philippe Herreweghe, revolutionized baroque vocal music by embracing new performance practices. Their emphasis on authenticity and textual clarity propelled them to international acclaim, gracing stages from Europe to Asia. Since 2017, the ensemble has hosted its own summer festival, Collegium Vocale Crete Senesi, in the picturesque setting of Tuscany, Italy.

With a diverse repertoire spanning centuries, Collegium Vocale Gent has evolved into a versatile ensemble, tailoring its forces to suit each project. From intimate renditions of Renaissance music to grand symphonic performances of Romantic and contemporary works, the ensemble’s adaptability knows no bounds. Their mastery of German Baroque, particularly J.S. Bach’s vocal compositions, remains unparalleled.

Collaborating with leading historical and symphony orchestras, Collegium Vocale Gent has established itself as a dynamic force in the classical music world. Under Herreweghe’s guidance, the ensemble has amassed a prolific discography, showcasing their artistry and innovation. Supported by the Flemish Community, the city of Ghent, and Belgium’s National Lottery, Collegium Vocale Gent continues to inspire audiences worldwide with its timeless interpretations and unwavering commitment to musical excellence.

VIDEO

PRESS

“Those marvellous voices.”

Tagesspiegel Berlin, 28 September 2024

“Rarely has virtuoso colouratura been heard with such naturalness and expressiveness as with the Collegium vocale from Ghent.”

Tagesspiegel Berlin, 16 September 2022

„There are ensembles and conductors who are indispensable to the performance history of a composer. In the case of the Collegium Vocale Gent conceived by Philippe Herreweghe, this is Johann Sebastian Bach, who has been elevated to the musical shield in a very small ensemble.“

bachtrack, 08 April 2022

DOWNLOADS

–Collegium Vocale Gent press picture 1

–Collegium Vocale Gent press picture 3

–Collegium Vocale Gent press picture 4

–Collegium Vocale Gent press picture 5

–Biography (PDF)

Scharoun Ensemble

Founded in 1983 by members of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, the Scharoun Ensemble is one of Germany’s leading chamber-music organizations. With its wide repertoire, ranging from composers of the Baroque period by way of Classical and Romantic chamber music to contemporary works, the Scharoun Ensemble has been inspiring audiences in Europe and overseas for more than a quarter of a century. Innovative programming, a refined tonal culture and spirited interpretations are hallmarks of the ensemble, which performs in a variety of instrumental combinations.

The permanent core of the Scharoun Ensemble is a classical octet (clarinet, bassoon, horn, two violins, viola, cello and double bass), made up of members of the Berlin Philharmonic except from Wolfram Brandl, who is first concertmaster of the Staatskapelle Berlin and Claudio Bohorquez, internationally performing solo- and chamber music-cellist.

VIDEO

PRESS

“Unabashedly youthful: in the spirit of their namesake, these musicians combine tradition and modernity.”

Tagesspiegel Berlin, 2023

„… Thus the composer bows to the last two founding members of the Scharoun Ensemble.“

nmz, 2023

“For over thirty years, the name Scharoun-Ensemble Berlin has stood for chamber music precision – and curiosity.”

rbbkultur, 2015

A SELECTION OF PROJECTS 2026/27

–Overview Projects 2026/27 (PDF)

Dates upon request
L’HISTOIRE DU SOLDAT / THE CARNIVAL OF ANIMALS
Nina Hoss, speaker // Lucas and Arthur Jussen, piano tbc.

Igor Strawinsky: “L’Histoire du Soldat”
Camille Saint-Saëns: “The Carnival of Animals”

Dates upon request
VOCAL PROGRAMM
Christiane Karg, soprano

Alban Berg: “Seven Early Songs” for soprano and small orchestra (arrang. by R. de Leeuw)
Brett Dean: “Ich lausche und ich höre” for soprano and octet
Sofia Gubaidulina: Hommage à T.S. Elliot for soprano and octet
Gustav Mahler: “Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen” for chamber orchestra (arrang. by A. Schoenberg)

DOWNLOADS

_Scharoun Ensemble Press photo 1

_Scharoun Ensemble press photo 2

_Biography (PDF)

–Overview projects 2026/27 (PDF)

Concerto Copenhagen

Concerto Copenhagen (CoCo) combines artistic authenticity and innovation through original and uncompromising interpretations that breathe new life into music, making it relevant for a modern audience. Since 1999, the collaboration between CoCo and Lars Ulrik Mortensen has led to an exciting artistic and musical journey, highly praised by audiences and critics worldwide. With a unique repertoire that blends well-known European music with lesser-known works of Scandinavian origin, as well as new compositions, CoCo celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2021.

VIDEO

PROJECT 24/25

Dates upon request

Pärt and Händel with Tõnu Kaljuste, musical direction

To celebrate Arvo Pärt’s 90th birthday, Concerto Copenhagen and the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, conducted by Grammy winner Tõnu Kaljuste, unite to combine works by the jubilarian with his great role model George Frideric Handel.

A. Pärt:

Silouan’s Song / Festina Lente für Orchester Trisagion / Cantus in memoriam Benjamin Britten für Orchester Stabat Mater / Berliner Messe für Chor und Orchester

G. F. Händel:

Concerto grosso Op. 6, Nr. 5 für Orchester Dixit Dominus für Solisten, Chor und Orchester

DOWNLOADS

–Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir Presse Foto 1

–Concerto Copenhagen press picture 2

Bio-Concerto-Copenhagen-2023-EN Biography Concerto Copenhagen (PDF)

Bio-Estonian-Chamber-Choir-EN Biography Estonian Chamber Choir (PDF)

Paert Haendel Project Projects 2024/25 (PDf)

Phantasm Viol Consort

PHANTASM, an award-winning consort of viols, was founded in 1994 by Laurence Dreyfus. The ensemble quickly set a new standard for consort playing internationally both in the depth of its interpretations and its commitment to flawless string technique.

The winner of three Gramophone Awards among other prominent citations, the consort has travelled the world over, performing on concert series and in festivals throughout Europe, the Americas and Asia. Phantasm’s performances and over 20 recordings have garnered steady praise with critics singling out their ‘intensity and homogeneity of tone and their acuity to the music’s ever-active emotional flux’. Their most recent honours are the 2017 Gramophone Award for Early Music and the 2017 Diapason d’or de l’année bestowed for their recording of Dowland’s Lachrimae.

The members of Phantasm (from the UK, Finland and Germany) were Consort-in-Residence at the University of Oxford and Magdalen College from 2005 to 2015. In 2015, the group’s art activity shifted to Berlin.

In March 2025, Phantasm is launching its own concert series POLYPHONIC ENCOUNTERS at St Elisabeth Church in Berlin. Under the title The Well-Tempered Consort, the opening concert on 14 March 2025 will be dedicated to Johann Sebastian Bach. With works by the English composers Orlando Gibbons, John Jenkins and Henry Purcell, the concerts of the 2025/26 season offer an opportunity to discover new musical territory.

VIDEO

PRESS

„Phantasm’s playing brims with imaginative fantasy and dance-like momentum“

Gramophone

„Rigorous intellect with sensitive musicianship.“

BBC Music Magazine

SELECTION OF PROJECTS 2026/27

–Overview projects 2025/26 (PDF)

August – 7 September 2026 and upon request
SECRET BYRD – AN IMMERSIVE PERFORMANCE BY CANDLELIGHT

Secret Byrd was jointly commissioned by St Martin-in-the-Fields and the Washington National Cathedral to mark the 400th anniversary of William Byrd’s death in 2023. Byrd was a defiant Catholic whose five-part Mass was written for fellow believers who worshipped in secret, risking torture or death. In Secret Byrd, one of his clandestine Masses is brought to life – performed by two of the most renowned specialist ensembles in this repertoire: Phantasm Viol Consort and The Gesualdo Six.

Bill Barclay, künstlerischer Leiter / Phantasm Viol Consort / The Gesualdo Six

Works by W. Byrd

16 – 22 September 2026 and upon request
SONGS AND FANTASIES – The 400th Anniversary of John Dowland’s Death

This programme honours the legacy of the incomparable composer John Dowland in his anniversary year, celebrating the union of words and music in England and Italy through contrasting vocal and instrumental polyphony from the late 16th and early 17th centuries. In the unmatched songs of John Dowland and William Byrd, alongside the proto-baroque madrigals of Claudio Monteverdi and his contemporaries, the expressive power of the texts is brought vividly to life through the collaboration between the distinctive tenor Ian Bostridge and the elegant phrasing of the Phantasm viol consort. Instrumental fantasias and dances by Byrd, John Ward, and Tarquinia Merula complement the vocal works, weaving a rich tapestry of poetic expression..

Ian Bostridge, tenor

Works by J. Dowland, W. Byrd, C. Monteverdi, J. Ward und T. Merula

Availability upon request
The Art of Being Human
with Laurence Dreyfus, treble viol and musical direction / Alexander Polzin, visual concept / Sommer Ulrickson, choreography / Dance: Saeed Hani Moeller, Sami Similae, Yamila Khodr, Camille Jackson, Rodolfo Piazza

The Art of Being Human is an exploration of how it feels to be alive and to exist among others, in relationships that are perfectly expressed through the polyphony of Early Music – its dissonances and harmonies – and reflected in the movement of dancers’ bodies, in a performance that offers profound insights into the very meaning of life. The Art of Being Human was commissioned by Pierre Boulez Saal, Berlin, where it was premieredn successfully in March 2023.

With works by William Byrd, John Dowland, William Lawes, Henry Purcell and others