Stegreif – The Improvising Symphony Orchestra

© Roman Novitzky
© Stephan Boehme
© Iken Keune
© Moritz Esyot

Without notes – without conductor – without chairs: Stegreif shows new ways of what a contemporary orchestra can look like today. In radical recompositions, the international musicians combine symphonic music with improvisation and influences from other genres and involve the audience in original spatial concepts. With these innovative concert formats, the young ensemble inspires a growing audience of different target groups.

Since the orchestra was founded in 2015, at least one new concert programme has been developed every year: #freebeethoven, #freeschubert, #freebrahms, #free∃roica, #bfree, #freemahler, #explore_mozart, #explorefreischütz, #bechange. In addition, co-productions have been realised with the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin and the young North German Philharmonic Orchestra (TRIKESTRA), among others. Stegreif has performed concerts renowned stages such as the Berlin Philharmonic, the Konzerthaus Berlin, the Elbphilharmonie the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, the Alte Oper Frankfurt, the Brucknerhaus Linz, the Radialsystem Berlin, the Beethovenfest Bonn or the Prinzregententheater Munich as well as at alternative alternative festivals such as FUSION, Detect Classic, PODIUM Esslingen, the Düsseldorf Festival or the Oranjewoud Festival (NL).

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PRESS

‘A Bruckner symphony in an interactive format: it’s one of the most goosebump-inducing moments of the evening and pure magic. Rarely do you experience the urgency and exceptional character of this music first-hand as was the case here.’

Urs Mattenberger in der Luzerner Zeitung, 12.09.2024

‘There was thunderous applause and standing ovations for this magnificent performance by an ensemble that had ‘delivered’.’

Reinhard Frank on shz.de, 24.07.2022

‘It’s a success! Bravo!’

Angelika Silberbach in Mainpost, 19.07.2022

‘The passion for music and the virtuosity of the individual pieces can rarely be experienced so closely.’

Ulrike Gerner in taz, 12.10.2019

SELECTION OF PROJECTS 2027/28

Dates upon request
#FREE∃ROICA
Beethovens dritte Sinfonie – ohne Noten, Dirigent*in und Stühle
Sebastian Caspar, musical leader // Mike Conrad & Alistair Duncan, Recomposition & Arrangement

free∃roica about revolutions – historical and musical – and the heroes they brought forth. The orchestra strives towards them without sheet music, without a conductor and without chairs, and in doing so also looks for the small disorders. For example;these disruptions “only” consist of entering the concert hall without shoes or taking the audience on a journey from 18th century France to the present.

L. v. Beethoven: Symphony no. 3 in E-falt major op. 55

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