Founded in 1899 as the municipal orchestra; the Essener Philharmoniker play in the Aalto-Musiktheater and in the Philharmonie Essen. Richard Strauss inaugurated their concert hall in 1904 with the “Sinfonia domestica”; after destruction in the war and rebuilding, the Saalbau reopened in 2004 as the Philharmonie Essen. The orchestra’s history includes the premiere of Max Reger’s “Sinfonietta” conducted by Felix Mottl (1905), the first performance of Gustav Mahler’s Sixth Symphony under the composer’s direction (1906) and, in 1913, the premiere of his “Böcklin-Suite” conducted by Reger. Principal conductors have included Georg Hendrik Witte (1871–1911), Hermann Abendroth (1911–1915), Max Fiedler (1915–1933), Heinz Wallberg (1975–1991), Wolf-Dieter Hauschild (1991–1997), Stefan Soltész (from 1997/98) and Tomas Netopil; the general music director is Andrea Sanguineti. In the critics’ poll of the magazine Opernwelt the orchestra was voted orchestra of the year in 2003 and 2008. In 2010 Cybele Records released Appassionatamente plus Lulu-Suite with the Essener Philharmoniker under Stefan Soltész.
Essener Philharmoniker
Orchestra
