Page 1 Classic – Jazz – Avantgarde Munich Music Metropolis (March 1, 2017) In Munich, music lovers have the opportunity to listen to high-class soloists from all over the world every day. People are accustomed to enjoying musical luxury. In addition to top orchestras, also other ensembles guarantee thrilling programs. Munich and music – A close and long-lasting relationship Of the many famous names with a link to the city, let us just name a few: Orlando di Lasso (1532 - 1594), one of the most versatile and prolific composers of the late Renaissance, spent several successful decades in Munich as court conductor. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 – 1791) almost became a Munich resident – he applied for a position as court conductor, but there was no “vacancy”. Nonetheless, his desire to establish himself in the city by the Isar – where his “Idomeneo” premiered in 1781 – clearly shows that Munich was already a sought-after location for top-ranking musicians over 200 years ago. Several of Richard Wagner‘s (1813 – 1883) magnificent productions (among others “Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg” - 1868 and “Tristan und Isolde” - 1865) celebrated their premiere here. Richard Strauss (1864 – 1949), composer of the opera “Der Rosenkavalier”, was born in Munich. Three star conductors for three prestigious orchestras Munich audiences are proud of what their city has to offer as a music Mecca – for example, three first-rate ensembles performing under the baton of three world- Contact: Department of Labor and Economic Development München Tourismus, Trade & Media Relations Sendlinger Str. 1, 80331 München, Tel.: +49 89 233- Email: [email protected], www.simply-munich.com Page 2 renowned conductors. This is competition at its best, all the more exciting because of the proximity of the contenders. The Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra with its chief conductor Mariss Jansons, the Munich Philharmonic with Valerie Gergiev , also chief conductor, and the Bavarian State Orchestra (the orchestra of the Bavarian State Opera) with chief conductor - as of September 1, 2013 - Kirill Petrenko. The Bavarian State Orchestra, today an internationally celebrated opera ensemble, has an exceptionally long history which goes back to the 16th century. In 1563, the aforementioned composer Orlando di Lasso was named music director at the court of Duke Albrecht V and therefore director of the court orchestra. When Elector Palatine Karl Theodor succeeded to the throne of Bavaria in 1778, he took 33 members of the Mannheim court orchestra with him to Munich. The musicians, who were renowned in Europe for their virtuosity and unconventional range, joined the Munich court ensemble. Mariss Jansons, Lorin Maazel and Kirill Petrenko - are the latest newcomers in an impressive line of conductors who have left their mark on important milestones in Munich’s musical history: Hans von Bülow, Hermann Levi, Hans Knappertsbusch, Bruno Walter, Sir Georg Solti, Wolfgang Sawallisch, Zubin Mehta, Carlos Kleiber, Rafael Kubelik, Christian Thielemann, Kent Nagano and last but not least Sergiu Celibidache, who in 18 years – between 1979 and 1996 – turned the Munich Philharmonic into one of the best orchestras of the world. His successor was James Levine. Also worth a mention is the celebrated Bavarian State Ballet, which saw Igor Zelensky take over as director for the 2016/2017 season. Munich Chamber Orchestra and Munich Symphonic Orchestra Another ensemble that has achieved international recognition over the last few years is the Munich Chamber Orchestra. In the 1990s, the orchestra acquired a new and dynamic profile under the artistic direction of Christoph Poppen. The daring and imaginative program between classical and modern keeps setting standards today. The Contact: Department of Labor and Economic Development München Tourismus, Trade & Media Relations Sendlinger Str. 1, 80331 München, Tel.: +49 89 233- Email: [email protected], www.simply-munich.com Page 3 German Music Publishers’ Association has several times presented the Munich Chamber Orchestra with the award for the best concert program of the season. Composers such as Wolfgang Rihm, Jörg Widmann and Iannis Xenakis have written commissioned works for the ensemble. At the start of the 2016/2017 season, Clemens Schuldt took over as principal conductor from Alexander Liebreich. The Munich Symphonic Orchestra – formerly the orchestra of composer and conductor Kurt Graunke and now under the baton of Kevin John Edusei with Philippe Entremont as honorary conductor and the Munich Radio Orchestra also have an important role to play in Munich’s music scene. The Munich Symphonic Orchestra has recorded film scores for German and international productions, and performs classical symphonic works in its concert series. The Munich Radio Orchestra, under the direction of Ulf Schirmer since 2006, has attracted a new audience thanks to its exciting crossover projects with jazz musicians such as Abdullah Ibrahim and Bobby McFerrin, and is constantly experimenting with its repertoire. Bavarian Broadcasting calls it “Munich’s most amazing orchestra”. A music theater paradise with provocative tones Mystery writer Donna Leon is known for traveling often to Munich to attend opera performances. She loves the music of Georg Friedrich Händel and has enjoyed the many productions of his works by the Bavarian State Opera. Sir Peter Jonas, who was general director from 1993 to 2006, established the theater’s reputation as a location offering Wagner, Verdi and Mozart highlights but also surprising audiences with unconventional productions. Jonas favored baroque opera and garish/witty settings, and enjoyed creative partnerships with stage directors like David Alden and Martin Duncan combined with the musical fire of baroque specialist Ivor Bolton. Nikolaus Bachler from the Vienna Burgtheater is now at the head of the Bavaria State Opera. Like his predecessor, he relies on the best, working with stage directors such as Christoph Loy, and dares to provoke the public, as for example with Christian Stückl’s Contact: Department of Labor and Economic Development München Tourismus, Trade & Media Relations Sendlinger Str. 1, 80331 München, Tel.: +49 89 233- Email: [email protected], www.simply-munich.com Page 4 production of “Palestrina”, the opera by the controversial composer Hans Pfitzner, which premiered in 1917. The Bavarian State Opera seats 2,100 spectators. With 2,500 square meters of stage area, the theater has the third largest opera stage in Europe after the Opéra Bastille in Paris and the Teatr Wielki in Warsaw. Each year in July, the Munich Opera Festival features spectacular premieres and the main current productions with an all-star cast. The city’s other music theater is the State Theater on the Gärtnerplatz. Opened in 1865 as “Actien-Volkstheater” and subsequently purchased by King Ludwig II, the theater has an appeal all its own. Here, light operas and operettas are part of a lively tradition and are performed in German. Josef Ernst Köpplinger is the new manager and the chief conductor is Marco Comin. Musicals are also often part of the repertoire, which is enhanced by unconventional programs such as the premiere of “Quake” by the Armenian composer Awet Terterjan, a moving and highly modern opera based on a story by Kleist (under the artistic direction of Klaus Schultz). The historical building is presently being renovated. Therefore the ensemble performs at several temporary venues, such as the Reithalle, the Alte Kongresshalle, the Akademietheater or the Cuvilliéstheater. It is scheduled to reopen fully in autumn 2017. Both Munich opera houses have also given high-profile guest performances in Prinzregententheater. Inaugurated in 1901, the art nouveau building was beautifully renovated at the instigation of August Everding and reopened in 1995. It now houses the Bavarian Theatre Academy and is a highly sought-after venue with an auditorium built on the model of the Festspielhaus in Bayreuth. Musical avant-garde – At home in Munich Created in 1988, the Münchener Biennale –International Festival of New Music Theater has set many an aesthetic standard in the world of opera. The composer Hans Werner Henze, who initiated the festival, was its director until 1996, when the composer and artistic director Peter Ruzicka took over. The Münchener Biennale ranks among Munich’s avant-garde flagships. In 2012 premieres of the operas “L'Absence” Contact: Department of Labor and Economic Development München Tourismus, Trade & Media Relations Sendlinger Str. 1, 80331 München, Tel.: +49 89 233- Email: [email protected], www.simply-munich.com Page 5 by Sarah Nemtsov, “Mama Dolorosa” by Eunyoung Kim and “Wasser” by Arnulf Herrmann received international recognition. From 2016 the two composers Daniel Ott and Manos Tsangaris will be the artistic directors the Biennale. Happy New Ears Munich: a city with open ears. In addition to the Music Theater Biennale, other series have also prevailed, such as the avant-garde program “Musica Viva” (produced by Bavarian Broadcasting) which was founded by the composer Karl Amadeus Hartmann after World War II as well as an alternative forum for young composers called “ADEvantgarde”, which has in the course of the years attracted increasing attention as safeguard for unusual music. The Musica Viva series has turned into a magnet for audiences since 1996 under the direction of Udo Zimmermann; in 2011 the renowned musicologist Winrich Hopp has assumed the artistic direction. The festival owes