The Cologne Chamber Orchestra is Germany’s oldest chamber orchestra. It was founded in 1923 for the purpose of promoting interpretations that are faithful to the original. In 1963 Helmut Müller-Brühl became chief conductor, following in the footsteps of Hermann Abendroth and later Erich Kraack, the orchestra’s conductors of the early years. A much-noticed tour in Switzerland with the pianist Wilhelm Kempff in 1964 marked the beginning of a co-operation with numerous soloists of international reputation. From that time on Müller-Brühl and the orchestra enjoyed tremendous success in Europe, North and South America, Asia and at international festivals.
Helmut Müller-Brühl initiated the concert series Brühler Schlosskonzerte and was their artistic director for more than three decades. Within the framework of this series the Cologne Chamber Orchestra regularly played opera productions and gave concerts as a festival orchestra. Since 1988 the orchestra has organised the concert series “Das Meisterwerk” at the Cologne Philharmonie and has established the tradition to regularly invite young soloists that are considered to be an inside tip for performing at this venue. Julia Fischer made her debut as a 17-year-old in this concert series and names like Christoph Eschenbach, Christine Schäfer or Alban Gerhardt are also closely connected with it. In 2007 Igor Levit and Xiaohan Wang – as outstanding talents of the semi-final of the “International Beethoven Competition for Piano Bonn” 2005 (initiated by the then President of the Federal Republic of Germany Horst Köhler) performed together with the Kölner Kammerorchester under Helmut Müller-Brühl.
More than 200 albums and records as well as radio and TV productions of the Cologne orchestra document a repertoire of more than 500 masterpieces and unknown treasures. Since 1995 the orchestra has been closely cooperating with the worldwide record label Naxos with a constantly growing repertoire. In 2001 their recording of Telemann’s three “Darmstadt Overtures” won the Cannes Classical Award.
Within the framework of international guest appearances the orchestra repeatedly and successfully toured in South Korea, performed Haydn’s semi-scenic opera “Lo Speziale” under Jan Willem de Vriend in the Netherlands and recently took part in Christoph Poppen’s “Festival Internacional de Música de Marvao” in Portugal, their fifth “residency” in a row. Moreover, the Cologne Chamber Orchestra frequently gave guest performances at renowned festivals. In the spring of 2019 the orchestra toured extensively in Asia and performed in South Korea and China.
Photo courtesy of Christopher Clem Franken
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