Carnegie Hall

The Berliner Philharmoniker, founded in 1882 as a self-governing ensemble, has long been one of the world’s leading orchestras. In its first decades, Hans von Bülow, Arthur Nikisch, and Wilhelm Furtwängler were defining chief conductors, followed by Herbert von Karajan in 1955. He developed a unique sound aesthetic and playing culture with the orchestra that made it famous worldwide. In 1967, Mr. Karajan founded the Berliner Philharmoniker Easter Festival, which has been held in Baden-Baden since 2013. As chief conductor from 1989 to 2002, Claudio Abbado placed new emphasis on concert programming, with a special focus on contemporary compositions. From 2002 to 2018, Sir Simon Rattle continued to expand the repertoire and establish innovative concert formats. In 2009, the orchestra launched the video platform Digital Concert Hall, which broadcasts its concerts live and offers archival performances. In 2014, the orchestra founded its own label: Berliner Philharmoniker Recordings. Kirill Petrenko has been chief conductor of the Berliner Philharmoniker since 2019. The Classical-Romantic repertoire, Russian music, and unjustly forgotten composers are the initial focus of his tenure. Another important area for Mr. Petrenko is the Berliner Philharmoniker’s education programs, with which the orchestra reaches out to new audiences.

The Berliner Philharmoniker Foundation is supported by the State of Berlin and the German Federal Government, as well as by the generous support of Deutsche Bank as its main sponsor.

As a musical ambassador, the Berliner Philharmoniker supports UNO-Flüchtlingshilfe in its commitment to helping refugees build safer, brighter futures. International refugee protection is at the heart of the work of UNO-Flüchtlingshilfe, the national partner of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Find out about the Berliner Philharmoniker’s support of UNO-Flüchtlingshilfe at berliner-philharmoniker.de/give-help.

Kirill Petrenko has been chief conductor and artistic director of the Berliner Philharmoniker since the 2019–2020 season. Born in Omsk, Siberia, he received his training first in his hometown and later in Austria. He began his conducting career in opera with positions at the Meininger Theatre and Komische Oper Berlin. From 2013 to 2020, he was general music director of the Bayerische Staatsoper. He has also made guest appearances at the world’s leading opera houses, including the Vienna State Opera, Royal Opera House in London, Opéra national de Paris, New York’s Metropolitan Opera, and the Bayreuth Festival. Moreover, he has conducted the major international symphony orchestras in Vienna, Munich, Dresden, Paris, Amsterdam, London, Rome, Chicago, Cleveland, and Israel. Since his debut in 2006, a variety of themes have emerged in his work with the Berliner Philharmoniker. These include the orchestra’s core Classical-Romantic repertoire, most notably Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. Unjustly forgotten composers such as Josef Suk and Erich Wolfgang Korngold are another of his interests. He also spotlights Russian works, with performances of Tchaikovsky’s operas Mazeppa, Iolanta, and The Queen of Spades.