Leipzig University Orchestra
The Leipzig University Orchestra (LUO) is an association founded by Leipzig students in October 2003 , which initially operated under the name of the Leipzig Student Orchestra . The majority of the orchestra members are amateur musicians and not music college students . The orchestra is organized democratically and is administered by the members themselves. Around 100 musicians currently play in the orchestra; thus it represents a fully occupied symphony orchestra.
The university orchestra has been an official part of the University of Leipzig since February 2004 and is therefore officially subordinate to the university music director David Timm . The orchestra remained self-governing in part. The orchestra has had its current name since June 2004. The orchestra is represented by an honorary board, which is elected by the members. The conductors are also regularly re-elected by the orchestra for four semesters (corresponding to two years), of which the first semester is a so-called trial semester.
The Leipzig University Orchestra has been sponsored by the MDR Symphony Orchestra since 2005 . Among other things, several lecturers from the symphony orchestra support the student musicians during rehearsals. In the summer semester of 2009, there was also a cooperation concert between the MDR Symphony Orchestra and the Leipzig University Orchestra with a mixed cast.
Ilya Ram has been the orchestra's conductor since winter semester 2019/20.
Concert activity
The orchestra regularly organizes a symphony concert in the great hall of the Gewandhaus in Leipzig towards the end of the semester's lecture period . The program for this is chosen anew at the end of each semester, the rehearsals take place during the lecture period of the following semester.
In addition, the orchestra plays on special university occasions such as the matriculation ceremony . In addition, several chamber music groups have formed in the orchestra, which organize two chamber music evenings per semester.
Conductors
- Norbert Kleinschmidt (winter semester 2003/04)
- Anna Shefelbine (summer semester 2004 to summer semester 2005)
- Juri Lebedev (winter semester 2005/06 to summer semester 2007)
- Daniel Huppert (winter semester 2007/08)
- Juri Lebedev (summer semester 2008 to summer semester 2009)
- Kiril Stankow (winter semester 2009/10 to summer semester 2011)
- Raphael Haeger (winter semester 2011/12 to summer semester 2015)
- Frédéric Tschumi (winter semester 2015/16 to summer semester 2019)
- Ilya Ram (since winter semester 2019/20)
Movie
The documentary Up to the Last Moment from 2007 portrays the Leipzig University Orchestra and chronologically shows the development of a concert program.