The Meiningen Court Orchestra () is one of Europe's most time-honoured orchestras. Since 1952, the 68-member ensemble has been affiliated with the

Meiningen Court Theatre The Staatstheater Meiningen (State Theatre Meiningen), also called the Meiningen Theatre, is a four-division theater in the Thuringian town of Meiningen, Germany. The theater was founded in 1831 and was called ″Meininger Hoftheater″ (Meiningen ...

, where it regularly performs opera, symphony concerts, and youth concerts. The current music director (GMD) is Killian Farrell.

History

The

Saxe-Meiningen Saxe-Meiningen ( ; ) was one of the Saxon duchies held by the Ernestine duchies, Ernestine line of the House of Wettin, located in the southwest of the present-day Germany, German state of Thuringia. Established in 1681, by partition of the Ern ...

ducal court orchestra was founded in 1690 by Duke Bernhard I. After its modest beginnings, the ensemble’s prominence began to grow under the leadership of the

Baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...

composer Georg Caspar Schürmann from 1702 to 1707. From 1711 to 1731

Johann Ludwig Bach Johann Ludwig Bach ( – 1 May 1731) was a German composer and violinist. He was born in Thal (Ruhla) near Eisenach. At the age of 22 he moved to Meiningen eventually being appointed cantor there, and later Kapellmeister. He wrote a large amoun ...

, a second cousin of

Johann Sebastian Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (German: Help:IPA/Standard German, �joːhan zeˈbasti̯an baχ ( – 28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque music, Baroque period. He is known for his prolific output across a variety ...

, served as conductor, followed by his relatives Gottlieb Friedrich and Johann Philipp Bach. Theater01a

In 1867 the Court Orchestra under principal conductor Emil Blücher hosted a festival for the '' Allgemeiner Deutscher Musikverein'' (General German Music Association) in collaboration with

Franz Liszt Franz Liszt (22 October 1811 – 31 July 1886) was a Hungarian composer, virtuoso pianist, conductor and teacher of the Romantic music, Romantic period. With a diverse List of compositions by Franz Liszt, body of work spanning more than six ...

in order to promote contemporary composers like

Leopold Damrosch Leopold Damrosch (October 22, 1832 – February 15, 1885) was a German American orchestral Conducting, conductor, composer, violinist, and teacher. He was the patriarch of the Damrosch family, which includes Frank Damrosch and Walter Damrosch. ...

, Eduard Lassen, Felix Draeseke, and

Robert Volkmann Friedrich Robert Volkmann (6 April 1815 – 30 October 1883) was a German composer. Life Robert Volkmann was born in Lommatzsch near Meißen in the Kingdom of Saxony. His father, a music director for a church, trained him in music to prepare him ...

. At

Richard Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, essayist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most o ...

's request, the orchestra performed at the first

Bayreuth Festival The Bayreuth Festival () is a music festival held annually in Bayreuth, Germany, at which performances of stage works by the 19th-century German composer Richard Wagner are presented. Wagner himself conceived and promoted the idea of a special ...

in 1876. The orchestra's golden era commenced in October 1880 with

Hans von Bülow Freiherr Hans Guido von Bülow (; 8 January 1830 – 12 February 1894) was a German conductor, pianist, and composer of the Romantic era. As one of the most distinguished conductors of the 19th century, his activity was critical for establishi ...

's appointment as court music director, elevating it to elite status in Europe. Bülow collaborated with

Johannes Brahms Johannes Brahms (; ; 7 May 1833 – 3 April 1897) was a German composer, virtuoso pianist, and conductor of the mid-Romantic period (music), Romantic period. His music is noted for its rhythmic vitality and freer treatment of dissonance, oft ...

, who occasionally conducted the ensemble. In a letter to the "theatre duke" George II of Saxe-Meiningen, Brahms expressed his admiration: 'Bülow should know that even the smallest rehearsal in the smallest hall in Meiningen means more to me than any concert in Paris or London, and ��I could sing endless praises about how content and at ease I feel among the orchestra…' His Symphony No. 4 premiered in Meiningen on 25 October 1885 with the composer himself conducting. After Bülow was offered the conductorship of the

Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra The Berlin Philharmonic () is a German orchestra based in Berlin. It is one of the most popular, acclaimed and well-respected orchestras in the world. Throughout the 20th century, the orchestra was led by conductors Wilhelm Furtwängler (1922� ...

, the young

Richard Strauss Richard Georg Strauss (; ; 11 June 1864 – 8 September 1949) was a German composer and conductor best known for his Tone poems (Strauss), tone poems and List of operas by Richard Strauss, operas. Considered a leading composer of the late Roman ...

briefly served as music director in Meiningen, before being succeeded by Fritz Steinbach and Wilhelm Berger.

Principal Conductors

*(1690–1702) Bernhard I of Saxe-Meiningen *(1702–1707) Georg Caspar Schürmann *(1711–1731)

*(1865–1880) Emil Büchner *(1880–1885)

*(1885–1886)

*(1886–1903) Fritz Steinbach *(1903–1911) Wilhelm Berger *(1911–1914)

Max Reger Johann Baptist Joseph Maximilian Reger (19 March 187311 May 1916) was a German composer, pianist, organist, conductor, and academic teacher. He worked as a concert pianist, a musical director at the Paulinerkirche, Leipzig, Leipzig University Chu ...

*(1915–1920) Karl Piening *(1926–1930) Heinz Bongartz *(1945–?) Peter Schmitz *(1956–1961) Rolf Reuter *(1961–1967) Olaf Koch *(1967–1995) Wolfgang Hocke *(1995–1999) Marie-Jeanne Dufour *(1999–2004)

Kirill Petrenko Kirill Garrievich Petrenko (, Latin script: ; born 11 February 1972) is a Russian-Austrian conductor. He is chief conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic. Early life Petrenko was born in Omsk, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union, to a violinist father and m ...

*(2004-2007)

Alan Buribayev Alan Buribayev (, ''Alan Börıbaev''; surname also spelled Buribaev in English) (born 30 May 1979) is a Kazakhs, Kazakh orchestral conductor. Career The son of a cellist/conductor father and a pianist mother, he studied violin and conducting a ...

*(2007–2010) Hans Urbanek *(2010–2022) Philippe Bach *(2023–present) Killian Farrell

World Premieres

*Brahms: Symphony No. 4 in E minor, Op. 98 (25 October 1885) *R. Strauss: Suite in B-flat major for Winds, Op. 4 (18 November 1884)

Notable Instrumentalists

Richard Mühlfeld Richard Bernhard Herrmann Mühlfeld (February 28, 1856 – June 1, 1907) was a German clarinettist who inspired Johannes Brahms and Gustav Jenner to write chamber works including the instrument. The pieces that Brahms wrote for him are the C ...

– Violinist (1873–1876), Principal clarinettist (1876–?) *Gustav Knoop – Cellist * Justus Johann Friedrich Dotzauer – Cellist (1801–1805) *

Richard Bruno Heydrich Richard Bruno Heydrich (23 February 1865 – 24 August 1938) was a German opera singer (tenor), composer, and founder of the Halle Conservatory. A talented musician since childhood, Heydrich would find great success as a musical teacher, throug ...

– Double bassist {{Authority control Culture in Meiningen German symphony orchestras 1690 establishments in the Holy Roman Empire Musical groups established in the 17th century Orchestras in Thuringia Johannes Brahms Richard Strauss Saxe-Meiningen