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The Berlin Philharmonic (in German
German language

German is a West Germanic languages, thus related to and classified alongside English language and Dutch language. It is one of the world's world language and the most widely spoken mother tongue in the European Union....
: Die Berliner Philharmoniker [pl]), is an orchestra
Orchestra

An orchestra is an Musical ensemble, usually fairly large with string, brass, woodwind sections, and possibly a percussion section as well. The term orchestra derives from the name for the area in front of an theatre of ancient Greece reserved for the Greek chorus....
 based in Berlin
Berlin

Berlin is the Capital of Germany city and one of sixteen States of Germany of Germany. With a population of 3.4 million within its city limits, Berlin is the country's largest city....
, Germany
Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands....
. In 2006, a group of ten European media outlets voted the Berlin Philharmonic number three on a list of "top ten European Orchestras", after the Vienna Philharmonic and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra

The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra is a symphony orchestra of the Netherlands, based in Amsterdam. The orchestra is named for its resident venue, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam....
. Its primary concert venue is the Philharmonie
Berliner Philharmonie

The Berliner Philharmonie is a concert hall in Berlin, Germany, located in the Tiergarten district. The building is located on Herbert von Karajan-Stra?e, named for the Philharmonic's longest-serving principal conductor, in the Kulturforum area of Berlin not far from Potsdamer Platz....
, located in the Kulturforum
Kulturforum

The Kulturforum is a collection of cultural buildings in Berlin, Germany. It was built up in the 1950s and 60s at the edge of West Berlin, after most of the once unified city's cultural assets had been lost behind the Berlin Wall....
 area of the city. Since 2002, its principal conductor
Music director

A music director is a profession in different fields....
 is Sir Simon Rattle
Simon Rattle

Sir Simon Denis Rattle, Order of the British Empire, Royal Society of Arts, is an England Conducting. He rose to prominence as conductor of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, and is currently principal conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic ....
. The BPO also supports several chamber music
Chamber music

Chamber music is a form of classical music, written for a small group of instruments which traditionally could be accommodated in a palace chamber....
 ensembles.






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The Berlin Philharmonic (in German
German language

German is a West Germanic languages, thus related to and classified alongside English language and Dutch language. It is one of the world's world language and the most widely spoken mother tongue in the European Union....
: Die Berliner Philharmoniker [pl]), is an orchestra
Orchestra

An orchestra is an Musical ensemble, usually fairly large with string, brass, woodwind sections, and possibly a percussion section as well. The term orchestra derives from the name for the area in front of an theatre of ancient Greece reserved for the Greek chorus....
 based in Berlin
Berlin

Berlin is the Capital of Germany city and one of sixteen States of Germany of Germany. With a population of 3.4 million within its city limits, Berlin is the country's largest city....
, Germany
Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands....
. In 2006, a group of ten European media outlets voted the Berlin Philharmonic number three on a list of "top ten European Orchestras", after the Vienna Philharmonic and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra

The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra is a symphony orchestra of the Netherlands, based in Amsterdam. The orchestra is named for its resident venue, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam....
. Its primary concert venue is the Philharmonie
Berliner Philharmonie

The Berliner Philharmonie is a concert hall in Berlin, Germany, located in the Tiergarten district. The building is located on Herbert von Karajan-Stra?e, named for the Philharmonic's longest-serving principal conductor, in the Kulturforum area of Berlin not far from Potsdamer Platz....
, located in the Kulturforum
Kulturforum

The Kulturforum is a collection of cultural buildings in Berlin, Germany. It was built up in the 1950s and 60s at the edge of West Berlin, after most of the once unified city's cultural assets had been lost behind the Berlin Wall....
 area of the city. Since 2002, its principal conductor
Music director

A music director is a profession in different fields....
 is Sir Simon Rattle
Simon Rattle

Sir Simon Denis Rattle, Order of the British Empire, Royal Society of Arts, is an England Conducting. He rose to prominence as conductor of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, and is currently principal conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic ....
. The BPO also supports several chamber music
Chamber music

Chamber music is a form of classical music, written for a small group of instruments which traditionally could be accommodated in a palace chamber....
 ensembles. The funding for the organization is subsidized by the city of Berlin
Berlin

Berlin is the Capital of Germany city and one of sixteen States of Germany of Germany. With a population of 3.4 million within its city limits, Berlin is the country's largest city....
 and a partnership with Deutsche Bank
Deutsche Bank

Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft is an international Universal bank with a broad private clients franchise, headquartered in Frankfurt am Main, Germany....
.

History

Philharmonie 1a
The Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra was founded in Berlin
Berlin

Berlin is the Capital of Germany city and one of sixteen States of Germany of Germany. With a population of 3.4 million within its city limits, Berlin is the country's largest city....
 in spring 1882 by 54 musicians under the name Frühere Bilsesche Kapelle (literal translation, "Former Bilse's Band"); the group broke away after their previous conductor Benjamin Bilse announced his intention of taking the band on a fourth class train to Warsaw for a concert. The orchestra was given its current name and reorganized under the financial management of Hermann Wolff in 1887. Its first conductor under the new organization was Ludwig von Brenner
Ludwig von Brenner

Ludwig von Brenner was a Germany conducting and composer.He was born in Leipzig, and studied at Leipzig conservatoire, later going to Saint Petersburg to play in the Saint Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra of the Tsar....
; in 1887 Hans von Bülow
Hans von Bülow

Hans Guido Freiherr von B?low was a German Conducting, virtuoso pianist, and composer of the Romantic music. He was one of the most famous conductors of the 19th century, and his activity was critical for establishing the successes of several major composers of the time, including Richard Wagner....
, one of the most esteemed conductors in the world, joined, and from then on, the orchestra's reputation became established, with guests Hans Richter
Hans Richter (conductor)

Hans Richter was an Austrian-Hungary conducting. Richter studied at the University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna with a particular interest in the horn , and developed his conducting career at several opera-houses in the Austro-Hungarian empire....
, Felix von Weingartner, Richard Strauss
Richard Strauss

Richard Georg Strauss was a German composer of the late Romantic music and early modern eras, particularly of operas, Lieder and tone poems. Strauss was also a prominent Conducting....
, Gustav Mahler
Gustav Mahler

Gustav Mahler was a Bohemian-born Austrian composer and conducting. He was best known during his own lifetime as one of the leading orchestral and operatic conductors of the day....
, Johannes Brahms
Johannes Brahms

Johannes Brahms , composer and pianist, was one of the leading musicians of the Romantic music. Born in Hamburg, Brahms spent much of his professional life in Vienna, Austria, where he was a leader of the musical scene....
 and Edvard Grieg
Edvard Grieg

Edvard Grieg was a Norway composer and pianist who composed in the Romantic period. He is best known for his Piano Concerto , for his incidental music to Henrik Ibsen's Play Peer Gynt , and for his collection of piano miniatures Lyric Pieces....
 conducting the orchestra over the next few years. Programmes of this period show, surprisingly, that the orchestra possessed only 46 strings as against the Wagnerian
Richard Wagner

Wilhelm Richard Wagner was a German composer, Conducting, theatre director and essayist, primarily known for his operas . Unlike most other great opera composers, Wagner wrote both the scenario and libretto for his works....
 ideal of 64.

In 1895, Arthur Nikisch
Arthur Nikisch

Arthur Nikisch was a Hungary conducting who performed mainly in Germany. He was considered an outstanding interpreter of the music of Anton Bruckner, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Ludwig van Beethoven and Franz Liszt....
 became chief conductor, and was succeeded in 1923 by Wilhelm Furtwängler
Wilhelm Furtwängler

Wilhelm Furtw?ngler was a German Conducting and composer....
. Despite several changes in leadership the orchestra continued to perform throughout World War II
World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a Participants in World War II, including all of the great powers, organised into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War II and the Axis powers....
. After Furtwängler fled to Switzerland
Switzerland

Switzerland is a landlocked Swiss Alps country of roughly 7.7 million people in Western Europe with an area of 41,285 km?. Switzerland is a federal republic consisting of 26 states called Cantons of Switzerland....
 in 1945, Leo Borchard
Leo Borchard

Lew Ljewitsch "Leo" Borchard was a Russian Conducting and briefly musical director of the Berlin Philharmonic.He was born in Moscow to German people parents, and grew up in Saint Petersburg where he received a solid musical education....
 became chief conductor. This arrangement lasted only a few months, however, as Borchard was accidentally shot and killed by American forces occupying Berlin. Sergiu Celibidache
Sergiu Celibidache

Sergiu Celibidache was a Romanian conductor....
 then took over as chief conductor for seven years, from 1945 to 1952. Furtwängler returned in 1952 and conducted the orchestra until his death in 1954.

His successor was Herbert von Karajan
Herbert von Karajan

Herbert von Karajan was an Austrian orchestra and opera conducting, one of the most renowned 20th-century conductors. His obituary in The New York Times described him as "probably the world's best-known conductor and one of the most powerful figures in classical music." Karajan conducted the Berlin Philharmonic for thirty-five years....
, who led the orchestra from 1955 until his resignation in April 1989, only months before his death. Under him, the orchestra made a vast number of recordings and toured widely. During his leadership, the orchestra grew and gained its fame.

Claudio Abbado
Claudio Abbado

Claudio Abbado, Italian orders of merit , is an Italy Conducting. He has held many of the most prestigious positions in the world of classical music, having served as music director of the La Scala opera house in Milan, principal conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra, principal guest conductor of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, music di...
 became principal conductor after him, expanding the orchestra's repertoire beyond the core classical and romantic
Romantic music

In music, romanticism is a term, often considered misleading, and concept derived from literature traditionally defined by attributes including, "interest in nature, medieval chivalry, mysticism, [and] remoteness [ Social alienation and Solitude]"....
 works into more modern 20th century works
20th century classical music

At the turn of the 20th century classical music was characteristically late Romantic music in style, while at the same time the Impressionist music movement, spearheaded by Claude Debussy was taking form....
. He stepped down from this post in 2002, to conduct the Lucerne Festival Orchestra. During the post-unification period, the orchestra encountered financial problems resulting from budgetary stress in the city of Berlin. Several years after his departure as chief conductor, in 2006, the Orchestra Academy of the Berlin Philharmonic established the Claudio Abbado Composition Prize in Abbado's honour.

In June 1999, the musicians elected Sir Simon Rattle
Simon Rattle

Sir Simon Denis Rattle, Order of the British Empire, Royal Society of Arts, is an England Conducting. He rose to prominence as conductor of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, and is currently principal conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic ....
 as their next chief conductor. Rattle made it a condition of his signing with the Berlin Philharmonic that it be turned into a self-governing public foundation, with the power to make its own artistic and financial decisions. This required a change to state law, which was approved in 2001, allowing him to join the organization in 2002. Rattle's contract with the orchestra was initially through 2012. In April 2008, the BPO musicians voted in favour of retaining Rattle as their chief conductor. The current artistic director of the orchestra is Pamela Rosenberg. In April 2008, the orchestra announced that Rosenberg would not continue as artistic director after the expiration of her contract in 2010.

In 2006, the orchestra announced it would investigate its role during the Nazi regime. In 2007, Misha Aster published the book The Reich's Orchestra, his study of the relationship of the Berlin Philharmonic to the rulers of the Third Reich. Also in 2007 the documentary film The Reichsorchester by Enrique Sánchez Lansch
Enrique Sánchez Lansch

Enrique S?nchez Lansch is a Spanish-German film director and screenwriter.Enrique S?nchez Lansch was raised in Gij?n, Northern Spain and Cologne, Germany....
 about the conduct of the Berlin Philharmonic during the Third Reich was released.

The first concert hall of the orchestra was destroyed during WWII in 1944. Since 1963, the orchestra has been resident at the Philharmonie, which was constructed from 1960-1963, after the design of architect Hans Scharoun
Hans Scharoun

File:Bundesarchiv Bild 183-E0324-0047-004, Berlin, Otto Nagel-Ausstellung, Scharoun.jpgBernhard Hans Henry Scharoun was a Germany architect best known for designing the Berlin Philharmonic concert hall and the in L?bau, Saxony....
. On 20 May 2008, a fire broke out at the Philharmonie. One-quarter of the roof underwent considerable damage as firefighters cut openings to reach the flames beneath the roof. The hall interior did sustain water damage as well, but was otherwise "generally unharmed." The firefighters limited damage by the use of foam. The orchestra was restricted from use of the hall for concerts until at least 2 June 2008.

UNICEF appointed the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and Sir Simon Rattle
Simon Rattle

Sir Simon Denis Rattle, Order of the British Empire, Royal Society of Arts, is an England Conducting. He rose to prominence as conductor of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, and is currently principal conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic ....
 as Goodwill Ambassadors in November 2007.

The current soloists of the Berlin Philharmonic are:
  • First Violin: Guy Braunstein, Daniel Stabrawa, Toru Yasunaga
  • Second Violin: Christian Stadelmann, Thomas Timm
  • Violas: Neithard Resa
  • Cellos: Georg Faust, Ludwig Quandt
  • Basses: Matthew McDonald, Janne Saksala
  • Flutes: Andreas Blau, Emmanuel Pahud
  • Clarinet: Wenzel Fuchs
  • Oboe: Albrecht Mayer
  • Bassoons: Daniele Damiano, Stefan Schweigert
  • Horns: Radek Baborak, Stefan Dohr
  • Trumpets: Gábor Tarkövi, Tamás Velenczei
  • Trombones: Prof. Christhard Gössling, Olaf Ott


On 18 December 2008 the Orchestra announced the creation of a Digital Concert Hall: this new internet platform will enable music fans all over the world to see and hear the Philharmonic’s concerts – live or on demand.

Principal conductors

  • Ludwig von Brenner
    Ludwig von Brenner

    Ludwig von Brenner was a Germany conducting and composer.He was born in Leipzig, and studied at Leipzig conservatoire, later going to Saint Petersburg to play in the Saint Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra of the Tsar....
     (1882-1887)
  • Hans von Bülow
    Hans von Bülow

    Hans Guido Freiherr von B?low was a German Conducting, virtuoso pianist, and composer of the Romantic music. He was one of the most famous conductors of the 19th century, and his activity was critical for establishing the successes of several major composers of the time, including Richard Wagner....
     (1887-1892)
  • Arthur Nikisch
    Arthur Nikisch

    Arthur Nikisch was a Hungary conducting who performed mainly in Germany. He was considered an outstanding interpreter of the music of Anton Bruckner, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Ludwig van Beethoven and Franz Liszt....
     (1895-1922)
  • Wilhelm Furtwängler
    Wilhelm Furtwängler

    Wilhelm Furtw?ngler was a German Conducting and composer....
     (1922-1945)
  • Leo Borchard
    Leo Borchard

    Lew Ljewitsch "Leo" Borchard was a Russian Conducting and briefly musical director of the Berlin Philharmonic.He was born in Moscow to German people parents, and grew up in Saint Petersburg where he received a solid musical education....
     (May-August 1945)
  • Sergiu Celibidache
    Sergiu Celibidache

    Sergiu Celibidache was a Romanian conductor....
     (1945-1952)
  • Wilhelm Furtwängler
    Wilhelm Furtwängler

    Wilhelm Furtw?ngler was a German Conducting and composer....
     (1952-1954)
  • Herbert von Karajan
    Herbert von Karajan

    Herbert von Karajan was an Austrian orchestra and opera conducting, one of the most renowned 20th-century conductors. His obituary in The New York Times described him as "probably the world's best-known conductor and one of the most powerful figures in classical music." Karajan conducted the Berlin Philharmonic for thirty-five years....
     (1954-1989)
  • Claudio Abbado
    Claudio Abbado

    Claudio Abbado, Italian orders of merit , is an Italy Conducting. He has held many of the most prestigious positions in the world of classical music, having served as music director of the La Scala opera house in Milan, principal conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra, principal guest conductor of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, music di...
     (1989-2002)
  • Simon Rattle
    Simon Rattle

    Sir Simon Denis Rattle, Order of the British Empire, Royal Society of Arts, is an England Conducting. He rose to prominence as conductor of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, and is currently principal conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic ....
     (2002-present)


    • Awards and recognition

    Classical BRIT Awards
    Classical Brit Awards

    The Classical BRIT Awards are an annual awards ceremony held in the United Kingdom covering aspects of European classical music, and are the classical equivalent of pop music's Grammy or BRIT Awards....


    • 2001 - "Ensemble/Orchestral Album of the Year" - Sir Simon Rattle, Mahler: Symphony No. 10
      Symphony No. 10 (Mahler)

      The Symphony No. 10 by Gustav Mahler was written in 1910, and was his final composition. At the time of Mahler's death the composition was substantially complete as a draft, but was unperformable in that state....
       (EMI, 2000)
    • 2003 - "Ensemble/Orchestral Album of the Year" - Sir Simon Rattle, Mahler: Symphony No. 5
      Symphony No. 5 (Mahler)

      The Symphony No. 5 by Gustav Mahler was written in 1901 and 1902 mostly during the summer months at Mahler's cottage at Maiernigg. It is arguably the best known Mahler symphony....
       (EMI, 2002)


    Grammy Award
    Grammy Award

    The Grammy Awards ?or Grammys?are presented annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States for outstanding achievements in the music industry....
    s

    • 1970
      Grammy Awards of 1970

      The 12th Grammy Awards were held in 1970. They recognized accomplishments of musicians for the year 1969....
       - Best Opera Recording
      Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording

      The Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording has been awarded since 1961. The award was originally titled Best Classical Opera Production. The current title has been used since 1962....
       - Herbert von Karajan, Helga Dernesch
      Helga Dernesch

      Helga Dernesch is an Austrian soprano and mezzo soprano....
      , Thomas Stolze, Jess Thomas
      Jess Thomas

      Jess Thomas was a lyric and Richard Wagner tenor. As a child he took part in various musical activities and later studied psychology at the University of Nebraska and Stanford University....
      , Wagner: Siegfried
      Siegfried (opera)

      Siegfried is the third of the four operas that comprise Der Ring des Nibelungen , by Richard Wagner. It received its premiere at the Bayreuth Festspielhaus on 16 August 1876, as part of the first complete performance of The Ring....
       (DGG, 1969)
    • 1979
      Grammy Awards of 1979

      The 21st Grammy Awards were held in 1979, and were broadcast live on American television. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the year 1978....
       - Best Orchestral Performance
      Grammy Award for Best Orchestral Performance

      The Grammy Award for Best Orchestral Performance has been awarded since 1959. There have been several minor changes to the name of the award over this time:...
       - Herbert von Karajan, Beethoven: Symphonies (9) (Complete)
      List of works by Beethoven

      The musical works of Ludwig van Beethoven are listed below. Two different, overlapping lists of Beethoven's works are presented here. The first is a listing of his most well-known works classified by genre....
    • 1993
      Grammy Awards of 1993

      The 35th Grammy Awards were held in 1993. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year. Eric Clapton was the nights big winner winning 6 awards....
       - Best Orchestral Recording
      Grammy Award for Best Orchestral Performance

      The Grammy Award for Best Orchestral Performance has been awarded since 1959. There have been several minor changes to the name of the award over this time:...
       - Leonard Bernstein
      Leonard Bernstein

      Leonard Bernstein was a multi-Emmy-winning and Academy Award for Original Music Score nominated American Conductor , composer, author, music lecturer and Piano....
      , Mahler: Symphony No. 9
      Symphony No. 9 (Mahler)

      The Symphony No. 9 in D major by the composer Gustav Mahler was written in 1909 and 1910, and was the last symphony that he completed. Having recently learned of the infidelity of his wife Alma Mahler-Werfel, Mahler was suffering a deep personal crisis when he wrote his ninth symphony, considered by many Musicology and critics to be the most...
       (DGG, 1992; recording 1979)
    • 1995
      Grammy Awards of 1995

      The 37th Grammy Awards were presented March 1, 1995. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year....
       - Best Chamber Music Performance
      Grammy Award for Best Chamber Music Performance

      The Grammy Award for Best Chamber Music Performance has been awarded since 1959. The award has had several minor name changes*From 1959 to 1960 the award was known as Best Classical Performance - Chamber Music ...
       - Daniel Barenboim
      Daniel Barenboim

      Daniel Barenboim is a renowned piano and conducting. He lives in Berlin and holds citizenship in Argentina, Israel, Spain, and the Palestinian Authority....
      , Dale Clevenger
      Dale Clevenger

      Dale Clevenger has been Principal Horn of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra since 1966. He is considered one of the greatest hornists in the world....
      , Larry Combs
      Larry Combs

      Larry Combs is an American clarinetist. His principal teachers were Stanley Hasty at the Eastman School of Music and Leon Russianoff in New York....
      , Daniele Damiano, Hansjörg Schellenberger
      Hansjörg Schellenberger

      Hansj?rg Schellenberger is a German oboist born in 1948.Won the first prize at the German Jugend musiziert Competition with seventeen, which led to a scholarship enabling him to further his education at Interlochen ....
      , Beethoven/Mozart
      Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

      Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Mozart showed prodigious ability from his earliest childhood in Salzburg. Already competent on keyboard and violin, he composed from the age of five and performed before European royalty; at seventeen he was engaged as a court musician in Salzburg, but grew restless and traveled in search of a better position, always...
      : Quintets (Chicago-Berlin) (1994)
    • 1998
      Grammy Awards of 1998

      The 40th Grammy Awards were held on February 25, 1998. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year.Unlike many Grammy award ceremonies, which are often criticized for being too boring, the 1998 Grammys had several memorable and shocking moments....
       - Best Small Ensemble Performance
      Grammy Award for Best Small Ensemble Performance

      The Grammy Award for Best Small Ensemble Performance has been awarded since 1997.In 1991 the Grammy for Grammy Award for Best Chamber Music Performance also included small ensemble performances....
       - Claudio Abbado
      Claudio Abbado

      Claudio Abbado, Italian orders of merit , is an Italy Conducting. He has held many of the most prestigious positions in the world of classical music, having served as music director of the La Scala opera house in Milan, principal conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra, principal guest conductor of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, music di...
      , Hindemith: Kammermusik Nr. 1
      Kammermusik (Hindemith)

      Kammermusik is the name given to a series of eight musical compositions by the Germans composer Paul Hindemith.Written between 1921 and 1927, the first two works are for small ensembles , and share the opus number 24....
       mit Finale 1921, Op. 24 No. 1       (with members of Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra) (EMI, 1996)
    • 2000
      Grammy Awards of 2000

      The 42nd Grammy Awards were held on February 23, 2000. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year. During the show, Carlos Santana won 8 Grammys, tying Michael Jackson's record for most awards won in a single night....
       - Best Classical Vocal Performance
      Grammy Award for Best Classical Vocal Performance

      The Grammy Award for Best Classical Vocal Performance has been awarded since 1959. There have been several minor changes to the name of the award over this time:...
       - Claudio Abbado
      Claudio Abbado

      Claudio Abbado, Italian orders of merit , is an Italy Conducting. He has held many of the most prestigious positions in the world of classical music, having served as music director of the La Scala opera house in Milan, principal conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra, principal guest conductor of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, music di...
      , Anne Sofie von Otter, Thomas Quasthoff
      Thomas Quasthoff

      Thomas Quasthoff is a Germany bass-baritone generally regarded as one of the finest singers of his generation. Although his reputation was initially based on his performance of Romantic music lieder, Quasthoff has proven to have a remarkable range from the Baroque cantatas of Bach to solo jazz improvisations....
      : Mahler: Des Knaben Wunderhorn (DGG, 1999)
    • 2001
      Grammy Awards of 2001

      The 43rd Grammy Awards were held on February 21, 2001. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year. Many were stunned by Steely Dan's win for Grammy Award for Album of the Year for Two Against Nature beating out Eminem's controversial The Marshall Mathers LP....
       - Best Orchestral Performance
      Grammy Award for Best Orchestral Performance

      The Grammy Award for Best Orchestral Performance has been awarded since 1959. There have been several minor changes to the name of the award over this time:...
       - Sir Simon Rattle, Mahler: Symphony No. 10 (EMI, 2000)
    • 2007
      Grammy Awards of 2007

      The 49th Annual Grammy Awards is a ceremony honoring the best in music for the recording year beginning September 15, 2005 and ending September 14, 2006 in the United States....
       - Best Instrumental Soloist(s) Performance With Orchestra - Antonio Pappano
      Antonio Pappano

      Antonio Pappano is a United Kingdom conducting and pianist of Italian parentage currently serving as music director at the Royal Opera House in London, and l'Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome....
      , Leif Ove Andsnes
      Leif Ove Andsnes

      Leif Ove Andsnes is a Norway pianist. He studied with Jir? Hlinka at the Grieg Academy of Music in Bergen. He is an ardent champion of the works of Edvard Grieg....
      : Rachmaninov, Piano Concertos 1 & 2 (EMI, 2006)


    Gramophone Award
    Gramophone Award

    The Gramophone Awards are one of the most significant honours bestowed on the classical record industry, often referred to as the Oscars for European classical music....
    s
    • 1981 - "Opera Recording of the Year" - Herbert von Karajan, Wagner: Parsifal (DGG, 1980)
    • 1981 - "Orchestral Record of the Year" - Herbert von Karajan, Mahler: Symphony No. 9 (DGG, 1980)
    • 1984 - "Record of the Year" - Herbert von Karajan, Mahler: Symphony No. 9 (DGG, 1984; live recording 1982)
    • 2000 - "Orchestral Record of the Year" - Sir Simon Rattle, Mahler: Symphony No. 10 (EMI, 2000)
    • 2004 - "Concerto" - Mariss Jansons
      Mariss Jansons

      Mariss Jansons is a Latvian conducting, the son of conductor Arvid Jansons. His mother, the singer Iraida Jansons, who was Jewish, gave birth to him in hiding in Riga, Latvia, after her father and brother were killed in the Riga ghetto....
      , Leif Ove Andsnes
      Leif Ove Andsnes

      Leif Ove Andsnes is a Norway pianist. He studied with Jir? Hlinka at the Grieg Academy of Music in Bergen. He is an ardent champion of the works of Edvard Grieg....
      , Grieg: Piano Concerto
      Piano Concerto (Grieg)

      The Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 16 by Edvard Grieg was the only concerto Grieg completed. It is one of his most popular works and among the most popular of all piano concerto....
       and Schumann
      Robert Schumann

      Robert Schumann, sometimes given as Robert Alexander Schumann, was a German composer, aesthete and influential music critic. He is one of the most famous Romantic music composers of the 19th century....
      : Piano Concerto
      Piano Concerto (Schumann)

      The Piano Concerto in A minor, Op.54, is a famous Romantic music concerto by Robert Schumann, completed in 1845.Schumann had begun several piano concerto before this one: In 1828, he had begun one in E-flat major; from 1829-31 he worked on one in F major, and in 1839, he wrote one movement of a concerto in D minor....
       (EMI, 2004)
    • 2006 - "Record of the Year" - Claudio Abbado, Mahler: Symphony No. 6
      Symphony No. 6 (Mahler)

      The Symphony No. 6 in A minor by Gustav Mahler, sometimes referred to as the Tragische , was composed between 1903 and 1904 . The work's first performance was in Essen, on May 27 1906, conducted by the composer....
       (DGG, 2005)


    ECHO (formerly Deutscher Schallplattenpreis
    Deutscher Schallplattenpreis

    The Deutscher Schallplattenpreis was a prize that the Deutsche Phono-Akademie awarded from 1963 through 1992. Its successor is the ECHO prize....
    ) of Deutsche Phono-Akademie

    • 2003 - Chorwerkeinspielung - Sir Simon Rattle
      Simon Rattle

      Sir Simon Denis Rattle, Order of the British Empire, Royal Society of Arts, is an England Conducting. He rose to prominence as conductor of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, and is currently principal conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic ....
      , Rundfunkchor Berlin, MDR-Rundfunkchor Leipzig, Ernst-Senff-Chor Berlin, Karita Mattila
      Karita Mattila

      Karita Mattila is a leading opera soprano. She was born Karita Marjatta Mattila on September 5, 1960 in Somero, Finland.Mattila appears regularly in the major opera houses world-wide, including the Metropolitan Opera, the Royal Opera House in London, Th??tre du Ch?telet, Op?ra Bastille, the Lyric Opera of Chicago, San Francisco Opera, Hou...
      , Anne Sofie von Otter, Thomas Moser, Philip Langridge
      Philip Langridge

      Philip Langridge Order of the British Empire is an English tenor considered to be among the foremost exponents of Opera in English and oratorio....
      , Thomas Quasthoff
      Thomas Quasthoff

      Thomas Quasthoff is a Germany bass-baritone generally regarded as one of the finest singers of his generation. Although his reputation was initially based on his performance of Romantic music lieder, Quasthoff has proven to have a remarkable range from the Baroque cantatas of Bach to solo jazz improvisations....
      : Schoenberg, Gurrelieder (EMI, 2002)
    • 2006 - Musik-DVD Produktion des Jahres - Sir Simon Rattle, Thomas Grube and Enrique Sánchez Lansch
      Enrique Sánchez Lansch

      Enrique S?nchez Lansch is a Spanish-German film director and screenwriter.Enrique S?nchez Lansch was raised in Gij?n, Northern Spain and Cologne, Germany....
       (director), Uwe Dierks (producer): Rhythm Is It! (2005)
    • 2006 - Sinfonische Einspielung - Claudio Abbado
      Claudio Abbado

      Claudio Abbado, Italian orders of merit , is an Italy Conducting. He has held many of the most prestigious positions in the world of classical music, having served as music director of the La Scala opera house in Milan, principal conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra, principal guest conductor of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, music di...
      : Mahler
      Gustav Mahler

      Gustav Mahler was a Bohemian-born Austrian composer and conducting. He was best known during his own lifetime as one of the leading orchestral and operatic conductors of the day....
      , Symphony No. 6
      Symphony No. 6 (Mahler)

      The Symphony No. 6 in A minor by Gustav Mahler, sometimes referred to as the Tragische , was composed between 1903 and 1904 . The work's first performance was in Essen, on May 27 1906, conducted by the composer....
       (DGG, 2005)


    Timbre de Platine (Platinum Stamp) awarded by Opéra International magazine

    • 1987 - Riccardo Muti, Mozart: Requiem
      Requiem (Mozart)

      The Requiem Mass in D minor by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was composed in 1791. The requiem was Mozart's last composition, and is one of his most popular and most respected works....
       (EMI, 1987)

    Current members

    The members of the orchestra are:

    First violins
    • Guy Braunstein (1st Concertmaster)
    • Daniel Stabrawa (1st Concertmaster)
    • Toru Yasunaga (1st Concertmaster)
    • Rainer Sonne (Concertmaster)
    • Zoltán Almási
    • Maja Avramovic
    • Simon Bernardini
    • Wolfram Brandl
    • Peter Brem
    • Armin Brunner
    • Andreas Buschatz
    • Alessandro Cappone
    • Madeleine Carruzzo
    • Aline Champion
    • Felicitas Clamor-Hoffmeister
    • Laurentius Dinca
    • Sebastian Heesch
    • Aleksandar Ivic
    • Rüdiger Liebermann
    • Kotowa Machida
    • Helmut Mebert
    • Andreas Neufeld
    • Bastian Schäfer


    Second violins
    • Christian Stadelmann (leader of the 2nd Violins)
    • Thomas Timm (leader of the 2nd Violins)
    • Axel Gerhardt (principal)
    • Daniel Bell
    • Holm Birkholz
    • Stanley Dodds
    • Cornelia Gartemann
    • Amadeus Heutling
    • Christophe Horak
    • Rainer Mehne
    • Christoph von der Nahmer
    • Raimar Orlovsky
    • Bettina Satorius
    • Rachel Schmidt
    • Armin Schubert
    • Stephan Schulze
    • Christoph Streuli
    • Eva-Maria Tomasi
    • Romano Tommasini


    Violas
    • Neithard Resa (1st principal)
    • Naoko Shimuzu (principal)
    • Wilfried Strehle (principal)
    • Micha Afkham
    • Julia Gartemann
    • Matthew Hunter
    • Ulrich Knörzer
    • Sebastian Krunnies
    • Walter Küssner
    • Martin von der Nahmer
    • Zdzislaw Polonek
    • Martin Stegner
    • Wolfgang Talirz


    Cellos
    • Georg Faust (1st principal)
    • Ludwig Quandt (1st principal)
    • Martin Löhr (principal)
    • Olaf Maninger
    • Richard Duven
    • Christoph Igelbrink
    • Solène Kermarrec
    • Martin Menking
    • David Riniker
    • Nikolaus Römisch
    • Dietmar Schwalke
    • Knut Weber
    Double basses
    • Matthew McDonald (1st principal)
    • Janne Saksala (1st principal)
    • Esko Laine (principal bass)
    • Martin Heinze
    • Wolfgang Kohly
    • Rudolf Watzel
    • Peter Riegelbauer
    • Edicson Ruiz
    • Janusz Widzyk
    • Ulrich Wolff


    Flutes
    • Andreas Blau (principal)
    • Emmanuel Pahud (principal)
    • Michael Hasel
    • Helka Weber


    Oboes
    • Albrecht Mayer (principal)
    • Christoph Hartmann
    • Jonathan Kelly
    • Andreas Wittmann
    • Dominik Wollenweber (cor anglais)


    Clarinets
    • Wenzel Fuchs (principal)
    • Alexander Bader
    • Manfred Preis (bass clarinet)
    • Walter Seyfarth


    Bassoons
    • Daniel Damiano (principal)
    • Stefan Schweigert (principal)
    • Mor Biron
    • Marion Reinhard (double)
    • Markus Weidmann


    French horns
    • Radek Baborák (principal)
    • Stefan Dohr (principal)
    • Stefan de Leval Jezierski
    • Fergus McWilliam
    • Georg Schrekenberger
    • Klaus Wallendorf
    • Sarah Willis


    Trumpets
    • Gábor Tarkövi (principal)
    • Tamás Velenczei (principal)
    • Thomas Clamor
    • Georg Hilser
    • Martin Kretzer


    Trombones
    • Christhard Gössling (principal)
    • Olaf Ott (principal)
    • Thomas Leyendecker
    • Stefan Schulz


    Tubas
    • Paul Hümpel
    • Alexander von Puttkammer


    Timpani
    • Rainer Seegers
    • Wieland Welzel


    Percussion
    • Raphael Häger
    • Simon Rössler
    • Franz Schindlbeck
    • Jan Schlichte


    Harp
    • Marie-Pierre Langlamet


    In popular culture

    The soundtrack album for the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey
    2001: A Space Odyssey (film)

    2001: A Space Odyssey is a 1968 in film science fiction film directed by Stanley Kubrick, written by Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke. The film deals with thematic elements of human evolution, technology, artificial intelligence, and extraterrestrial life, and is notable for its scientific realism, pioneering special effects, ambiguous and of...
     offers a version of Strauss' Also sprach Zarathustra performed by the BPO conducted by Karl Böhm. (The version used in the movie itself was by the Vienna Philharmonic conducted by Karajan, uncredited, but copyright owner Decca Records
    Decca Records

    Decca Records is a British record label established in 1929 in music by Edward Lewis . Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; later the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
     didn't want to be associated with science-fiction.)

    The BPO participated in playing heavy metal music
    Heavy metal music

    Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in England and the United States. With roots in blues-rock and psychedelic rock, the bands that created heavy metal developed a thick, massive sound, characterized by highly amplified Distortion , extended guitar solos, emphatic beats, and overall...
     with the German band Scorpions
    Scorpions (band)

    Scorpions are a heavy metal music/hard rock band from Hanover, Germany, probably best known for their 1980s rock anthem "Rock You Like a Hurricane" and their singles "No One Like You", "Still Loving You", and "Wind of Change "....
    , on their 2000 album Moment of Glory
    Moment of Glory

    Moment of Glory is a 2000 album by Germany Heavy metal music band Scorpions with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. All titles were arranged by Christian Kolonovits....
    .

    Members of the BPO participated with experimental metal band, The Ocean
    The Ocean Collective

    The Ocean Collective is an experimental rock band from Berlin, Germany. Their work combines elements of progressive metal with classical music and electronic soundscapes to create their aggressive post-metal sound....
     on several albums; Fluxion, Aeolian
    Aeolian (album)

    Aeolian is an album by the Germany band The Ocean Collective released in March, 2006. Aeolian is the second part of a two-CD project that started with Fluxion....
     and Precambrian
    Precambrian (album)

    Precambrian is the fifth studio album by the German post-metal band The Ocean Collective, released on November 5, 2007 through Metal Blade Records....
    .

    The relationship between the BPO and the Nazi regime is the subject of the movie: "Taking Sides".

    See also

    • The 12 cellists of the Berlin Philharmonic
      The 12 cellists of the Berlin Philharmonic

      The 12 cellists of the Berlin Philharmonic are 12 cellists, members of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra as the name implies, who perform and record as an all-cello ensemble....
    • Konzerthausorchester Berlin (Berlin Symphony Orchestra)
    • Music in Berlin
      Music in Berlin

      Throughout its history, Berlin was a musical center in North Germany. First as an important trading city in the Hanseatic League, then as the capital of the electorate of Brandenburg and the Prussian Kingdom, later on as on of the biggest cities in Germany it fostered an influential music culture that remains vital until today....


    External links

    • , a 2003 Deutsche Welle
      Deutsche Welle

      Deutsche Welle or DW, is Germany International broadcasting. It Broadcastings news and information on shortwave, Internet and satellite radio in 29 languages ....
       article
    • Misha Aster, »Das Reichsorchester«,