Founded in 1945, the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester not only has its own concert series in Hamburg, Lübeck, Kiel and Wismar but has also won worldwide recognition through numerous internationally acclaimed CD recordings and tours within Europe, in Asia and in the USA.
Hamburg’s great appeal as a music city dates back to the 17th century: it was in 1678 that Europe’s first public opera house opened its gates here on the Gänsemarkt. The people of Hamburg not only love their city, but they also love their music. And since Hamburg was never ruled by kings or princes, it has always been the citizens themselves who have shaped the city’s music landscape.
Currently under the leadership of Thomas Hengelbrock, previous Principal Conductors have included Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt, Günter Wand, Christoph Eschenbach and Christoph von Dohnányi. With current Guest Conductor Krzysztof Urbański, the orchestra have toured Poland, France and across Japan with Alice Sara Ott and Sayaka Shoji, at the 36th edition of the prestigious Toshiba Grand Concert.
Formerly named NDR Sinfonieorchester, NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester performed at the inauguration of the new concert hall Elbphilharmonie in 2017 and as the resident orchestra, they play a major role in the development of Elbphilharmonie’s musical profile.
