The MDR-Sinfonieorchester (MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra) is a German radio orchestra based in Leipzig. It is the

radio orchestra A radio orchestra (or broadcast orchestra) is an orchestra employed by a radio network (and sometimes television networks) in order to provide programming as well as sometimes perform incidental or theme music for various shows on the network. In ...

Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk (; "Central German Broadcasting"), shortened to MDR (; stylized as mdr), is the public broadcaster for the federal states of Thuringia, Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt in Germany. Established in January 1991, its headquarters are in Leipzig, wi ...

, the public broadcaster for the German states of

Thuringia Thuringia (; officially the Free State of Thuringia, ) is one of Germany, Germany's 16 States of Germany, states. With 2.1 million people, it is 12th-largest by population, and with 16,171 square kilometers, it is 11th-largest in area. Er ...

, Saxony and

Saxony-Anhalt Saxony-Anhalt ( ; ) is a States of Germany, state of Germany, bordering the states of Brandenburg, Saxony, Thuringia and Lower Saxony. It covers an area of and has a population of 2.17 million inhabitants, making it the List of German states ...

. It is one of the oldest

Radio orchestra A radio orchestra (or broadcast orchestra) is an orchestra employed by a radio network (and sometimes television networks) in order to provide programming as well as sometimes perform incidental or theme music for various shows on the network. In ...

s in the world and the oldest in Germany. It was founded in

Leipzig Leipzig (, ; ; Upper Saxon: ; ) is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Saxony. The city has a population of 628,718 inhabitants as of 2023. It is the List of cities in Germany by population, eighth-largest city in Ge ...

, Germany in 1923 (9 months earlier than the

Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra The Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra (''Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin'') is a German symphony orchestra based in Berlin. In Berlin, the orchestra gives concerts at the Konzerthaus Berlin and at the Berliner Philharmonie. The orchestra has a ...

), with 115 musicians. Apart from a short interruption during World War II, it has been the main orchestra of the Central German Broadcasting Company (MDR) since 1924. The orchestra performs concerts in Leipzig at the

Gewandhaus Gewandhaus () is a concert hall in Leipzig, the home of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra. Today's hall is the third to bear this name; like the second, it is noted for its fine acoustics. History The first Gewandhaus (''Altes Gewandhaus'') The ...

History

The orchestra was originally founded as "Orchester des Konzertvereins" ("Orchestra of the Concert Society"). It became the "Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Leipzig" ("Radio Symphony Orchestra Leipzig") in 1924 and later adopted its present name. The orchestra was dissolved during World War II and reunited in 1946 under the tenure of the conductor

Hermann Abendroth Hermann Paul Maximilian Abendroth (19 January 1883 – 29 May 1956) was a German conductor. Early life Abendroth was born on 19 January 1883, at Frankfurt, the son of a bookseller. Several other members of the family were artists in diverse dis ...

, later conducted by

Herbert Kegel Herbert Kegel (29 July 1920 – 20 November 1990) was a German conductor. Kegel was born in Dresden. He studied conducting with Karl Böhm and composition with Boris Blacher at the Dresden Conservatory from 1935 to 1940. In 1946 he began con ...

. During the late 1970s through the 1980s, the principal conductors were Wolf-Dieter Hauschild and Max Pommer. In 1992, the Rundfunk Symphony Orchestra merged with the Radio Philharmonic in Leipzig to form the MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra. Daniel Nazareth was the first principal conductor of the newly formed MDR Symphony Orchestra after German reunification. Subsequent chief conductors have included

Fabio Luisi Fabio Luisi (born 17 January 1959) is an Italian conductor. He is currently principal conductor of the Danish National Symphony Orchestra, music director of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, and chief conductor of the NHK Symphony Orchestra. Biog ...

, Jun Märkl, and

Kristjan Järvi Kristjan Järvi (, alternate (U.S.) spelling: Kristian Järvi) (born 13 June 1972) is an Estonian conductor, composer and producer. Born in Tallinn, Estonia, he is the younger son of the conductor Neeme Järvi and brother of conductor Paavo Jär ...

. In November 2019, the orchestra announced the appointment of

Dennis Russell Davies Dennis Russell Davies (born April 16, 1944, in Toledo, Ohio) is an American conductor and pianist. He is chief conductor of the Brno Philharmonic and of the MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra. Biography Davies studied piano and conducting at ...

as its next chief conductor, effective with the 2020–2021 season, with an initial contract of 4 years. In April 2024, the orchestra announced an extension of Davies' contract through the 2026–2027 season.

Ensembles

Chamber music ensembles of the MDR Symphony Orchestra

* Arcato Streichquartett (since 1999) * Döring-Bläserquintett (since 1982) * Kammersymphonie Leipzig (since 2006) * Leipziger Hornquartett (since 1996) * Leipziger Schlagzeugensemble (since 1983) * Leipziger Blechbläsersolisten (since 1992) * MDR Bläserquintett (since 1995)

Other ensembles

* Gruppe Neue Musik Hanns Eisler (1970–1993) * Ensemble Sortisatio (since 1992)

Principal conductors

Alfred Szendrei Alfred Szendrei, also Alfred Sendrey and Aladár Szendrei (29 February 1884 – 3 March 1976) was an American musicologist, organist, conductor, composer of Hungarian origin. He was one of the leading conductors and pioneers of German radio. In ex ...

(1924–1932) *

Carl Schuricht Carl Adolph Schuricht (; 3 July 18807 January 1967) was a German conductor. Life and career Schuricht was born in Danzig (Gdańsk), German Empire; his father's family had been respected organ-builders. His mother, Amanda Wusinowska, a widow soo ...

(1931–1933) * Hans Weisbach (1934–1939) * Reinhold Merten (1939–1940) * Heinrich Schachtebeck (1945) * Fritz Schröder (1945–1946) * Gerhard Wiesenhütter (1946–1948) *

and Gerhard Pflüger (1949–1956) *

(1953–1977) * Wolf-Dieter Hauschild (1978–1985) * Max Pommer (1987–1991) * Daniel Nazareth (1992–1996) *

Marcello Viotti Marcello Viotti (29 June 195416 February 2005) was a Swiss classical music conductor, best known for opera. Viotti was born in Vallorbe, in the French-speaking region of Switzerland, to Italian parents. He studied cello, piano and singing at th ...

and Manfred Honeck (1996–1999) *

(1999–2007) * Jun Märkl (2007–2012) *

(2012–2018) *

(2020–present)

World premieres

This is a selected list of world premieres given by the orchestra: *

Franz Schreker Franz Schreker (originally ''Schrecker''; 23 March 1878 – 21 March 1934) was an Austrian composer, conductor, librettist, teacher and administrator. Primarily a composer of operas, Schreker developed a style characterized by aesthetic pluralit ...

: "Vom ewigen Leben" for soprano and orchestra (1929) *

Kurt Weill Kurt Julian Weill (; ; March 2, 1900April 3, 1950) was a German-born American composer active from the 1920s in his native country, and in his later years in the United States. He was a leading composer for the stage who was best known for hi ...

: ''

Der Silbersee ''Der Silbersee: ein Wintermärchen'' (''The Silver Lake: a Winter's Fairy Tale'') is a 'play with music' in three acts by Kurt Weill to a German text by Georg Kaiser. The subtitle is an allusion to Heinrich Heine's 1844 satirical epic poem, '' G ...

'' (1933) * Fritz Geißler: Chamber Symphony (1955) * Rudolf Wagner-Régeny: Genesis, Cantata for alto, chorus & orchestra (1956) *

Alan Bush Alan Dudley Bush (22 December 1900 – 31 October 1995) was a British composer, pianist, conductor, teacher and political activist. A committed communist, his uncompromising political beliefs were often reflected in his music. He composed prol ...

: Symphony No. 3 "The Byron Symphony" with Baritone Solo and Mixed Chorus (1962) *

Günter Kochan Günter Kochan (2 October 1930 – 22 February 2009) was a German composer. He studied with Boris Blacher and was a master student for composition with Hanns Eisler. From 1967 until his retirement in 1991, he worked as professor for musical com ...

: Symphony No. 1 (1963) *

Paul Dessau Paul Dessau (19 December 189428 June 1979) was a German composer and conductor. He collaborated with Bertolt Brecht and composed incidental music for his plays, and several operas based on them. Biography Dessau was born in Hamburg into a m ...

: Requiem for Lumumba (1964) * Paul Dessau: "Deutsches Miserere" for mixed choir, children's choir, soprano, alto, tenor and bass soloists, large orchestra, organ and trautonium (1966) * Wilhelm Neef: Piano Concerto (1971) *

Udo Zimmermann Udo Zimmermann (6 October 1943 – 22 October 2021) was a German composer, musicologist, opera director, and conductor. He worked as a professor of composition, founded a centre for contemporary music in Dresden, and was director of the Leipzig ...

: L'Homme (1972) *

Edison Denisov Edison Vasilievich Denisov (, 6 April 1929 – 24 November 1996) was a Russian composer in the so-called " Underground", "alternative" or "nonconformist" division of Soviet music. Biography Denisov was born in Tomsk, Siberia. He studied math ...

: Cello Concerto (1973) *

Friedrich Schenker Friedrich Schenker (23 December 19428 February 2013) was a German avant-garde composer and trombone player. Life Born in the German town of Zeulenroda, Schenker learned trombone and piano as a child and made his first compositional attempts at ...

: Electrization (1975) * Siegfried Thiele: Jeux pour harpe et orchestre (1975) * Edison Denisov: Piano Concerto (1978) * Georg Katzer: Piano Concerto (1980) * Friedrich Schenker: Fanal Spanien 1936 (1981) * Luca Lombardi: Symphony No. 2 (1983) * Wilfried Krätzschmar: Heine Scenes (1983) * Paul-Heinz Dittrich: "Etym" for orchestra (1984) * Friedrich Goldmann: Symphony No. 3 (1987) * Karl Ottomar Treibmann: Symphony No. 4 (1989) * Paul-Heinz Dittrich /

Sofia Gubaidulina Sofia Asgatovna Gubaidulina (24 October 1931 – 13 March 2025) was a Soviet and Russian composer of Modernism (music), modernist Holy minimalism, sacred music. She was highly prolific, producing numerous Chamber music, chamber, Orchestra, orch ...

/ Marek Kopelent: Laudatio Pacis (1993) *

Krzysztof Penderecki Krzysztof Eugeniusz Penderecki (; 23 November 1933 – 29 March 2020) was a Polish composer and conductor. His best-known works include '' Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima'', Symphony No. 3, his '' St Luke Passion'', '' Polish Requiem'', '' ...

: Concerto per violino ed orchestra No. 2 (1995) *

Carlos Veerhoff Carlos Enrique Veerhoff (3 June 1926 in Buenos Aires – 18 February 2011 in Murnau) was an Argentine-born German composer of classical music. Life and work Carlos Enrique Veerhoff was born with his twin brother, Wolfgang Otto, as premature infan ...

: Symphony No. 6 "Desiderata", for 3 soloists, speaker, chorus & orchestra, Op. 70 (1997) *

Milko Kelemen Milko Kelemen (30 March 1924 – 8 March 2018) was a Croatian composer. Life Milko Kelemen was born in Slatina, Croatia (then Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes). He studied under Stjepan Šulek in Zagreb, under Olivier Messiaen in Paris ...

: Salut au monde (1999) * Friedrich Schenker: Goldberg Passion (1999) *

Wolfgang Rihm Wolfgang Rihm (; 13 March 1952 – 27 July 2024) was a German composer of contemporary classical music and an academic teacher based in Karlsruhe. He was an influential post-war European composer, as "one of the most original and independent mus ...

: Penthesilea-Monolog for Soprano and orchestra (2005) *

Jean-Luc Darbellay Jean-Luc Darbellay (born 2 July 1946) is a Swiss composer, Conducting, conductor, clarinetist and physician. He was chairman of the Swiss Society for New Music and board member of the International Society for Contemporary Music. Darbellay is a me ...

: Requiem for Soloists, Choir and Orchestra (2005) *

Gene Pritsker Gene Pritsker (born 1971) is a composer, guitarist, rapper and record producer living in New York City. He moved to the United States with his family in 1978 and lived in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn. He attended the Manhattan School of Music from 19 ...

: '' Cloud Atlas Symphony'' (2012)

References

External links

* * {{Authority control German symphony orchestras Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk Orchestras in Leipzig Musical groups established in 1923 Recipients of the Patriotic Order of Merit in gold German radio orchestras