| Beethoven Orchester Bonn | |
|---|---|
| Symphony orchestra | |
 TheBeethovenhalle, the main venue of the orchestra | |
| Former name |
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| Founded | 1907 (1907) |
| Location | Bonn, Germany |
| Principal conductor | Dirk Kaftan |
| Website | www |
TheBeethoven Orchester Bonn is a Germansymphony orchestra based inBonn,North Rhine-Westphalia. It dates back to 1907, when a professional orchestra was established. Named forLudwig van Beethoven, who was born in Bonn, the orchestra's principal concert venue is theBeethovenhalle.
The orchestra dates back to 1907 when the town ofBonn signed a contract with thePhilharmonische Orchester Koblenz fromKoblenz and itsKapellmeister, to serve Bonn.[1][2] It was the first professional orchestra in Bonn since the court chapel had been dissolved in 1794.[1] It was first namedStädtisches Orchester Bonn (Municipal orchestra Bonn),[3] from 1963Orchester der Beethovenhalle Bonn (Orchestra of the Beethovenhalle Bonn), and from 2003Beethoven Orchester Bonn.[1][4]
In 1907,Richard Strauss conducted his works in Bonn with the orchestra.[1][2] The Mittelrheinisches Musikfest of 1914 attractedMax Reger,Fritz Busch andMax Bruch. The orchestra suffered in World War I, when its main venue, the oldBeethovenhalle, served as alazaretto, and many players were recruited. The orchestra was dissolved in April 1916, and only reestablished in 1920. During World War II, the hall was damaged by bombing. The new Beethovenhalle was inaugurated in 1959.[4]
The centenary of the orchestra was celebrated on 21 September 2007 as part of theBeethovenfest, performing the premiere of the symphony "Abendland" byKarsten Gundermann, Beethoven'sFirst Symphony and Edward Elgar'sViolin Concerto withGidon Kremer as the soloist.[5] An exhibition in the opera house was dedicated to the history.[6]
As of 2017[update], the orchestra has around 100 players, performing each year some 115 performances at theBonn Opera including all premieres,[4] 40 concerts in Bonn, mostly in theBeethovenhalle, and guest concerts in Germany and abroad. Stefan Blunier was GMD from 2008 to 2016.Christof Perick served as interim GMD of the orchestra for the 2016–2017 season.[7] In February 2016,Dirk Kaftan was named as the next GMD of the orchestra, effective August 2017, with an initial contract of five years.[8] In September 2020, the city of Bonn announced the extension of Kaftan's contract as GMD through 2027.[9]
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