South Westphalia Philharmonic

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Conducting workshop with bachelor's examination with the Philharmonie Südwestfalen (2014)

The Philharmonie Südwestfalen is a Hilchenbach- based symphony orchestra that operates far beyond its home region of South Westphalia .

history

The beginnings

In 1946, the former military musician Friedrich Deisenroth took the initiative and gathered some musicians around him. There was talk of founding a musical educational institution. Just one year later, the Hilchenbacher Volksmusikschule with an attached orchestra school existed. The aim of this state-recognized school with boarding school should be the training of professional musicians for cultural orchestras, admission requirements were a completed school education and the passing of an entrance exam. In 1952 the orchestra school was expanded to include the Siegerland Symphonic Wind Orchestra .

1957–1982 - The Siegerland Orchestra

In 1957, both orchestras of the Hilchenbach Orchestra School were united - the Siegerland Orchestra was born. It saw itself as a stepping stone for young musicians to larger orchestras as well as a talent factory and consisted of around 60 musicians, most of whom, with the exception of the older colleagues who played along with mentoring, were not over 30 years old. Since the financial focus was also to be placed on this young orchestra, the orchestra school, which was no longer up to date, was dissolved in 1959. The folk music branch was closed in 1956 after the founder's departure.

The new Siegerland Orchestra met the growing need in the region for regular events. In the year it was founded, the orchestra gave its first concert on the Siegen city ​​stage. Right from the start, the orchestra not only worked locally, but also traveled as a regional orchestra between Siegerland, Cologne , Kassel , Hagen and northern Rhineland-Palatinate , with cultural-political and financial support from the State of North Rhine-Westphalia . In 1960 the first trip abroad was made to Paris ; the orchestra's first tour abroad took the orchestra to Belgium and Luxembourg in 1964 .

In the years that followed, the Siegerland Orchestra gave around 70 concerts on a regular basis. In addition, the repertoire was expanded. A recurring theme in the 1960s was the possible abolition of the orchestra due to a lack of funds. The Kulturring , the organization of the Siegerland organizers and cultural workers, even brought out a memorandum in which arguments for the orchestra were compiled. In 1969 the financial future could be secured for the time being through own income and donations of the WDR .

The accommodation of the Siegerland orchestra was also repeatedly discussed as an existential question. The orchestra has been rehearsing in an old barrack of the Reich Labor Service since it was founded, and in 1962 they were able to move to the newly built Hilchenbacher Schützenhalle. Despite the new domicile, however, the poor traffic infrastructure and the not inconsiderable seclusion remained. In 1971 the discussion about moving to Siegen was intensified; one attracted with the Siegerlandhalle as a future venue and a planned new theater building. In the meantime, however, such strong roots had developed in Hilchenbach that politicians decided against moving to Siegen.

The status of a young orchestra turned out to be another permanent problem. As early as 1961 one could read in a concert review that the sum of young individual talents does not necessarily make a good orchestra. Over the next ten years, over 300 musicians had successfully completed the Siegerland Orchestra station and found a permanent position in a larger professional orchestra, but the training concept contradicted the economic requirements. At the end of the 1970s, the concept of the youth orchestra was finally abandoned, but more against the background of the formation of similar models such as state youth orchestras and university orchestras. Also prompted by the conversion of the youth orchestra into a normal professional orchestra, the Siegerland Orchestra called itself the Südwestfälische Philharmonie from 1982 onwards .

1982–1997 - The South Westphalian Philharmonic

In the 1970s, existential issues were no longer so urgent, now it was about the fight of the orchestra members for collective wages. The special status of the youth orchestra was given up, and demands were made for financial equality with colleagues from other professional orchestras. In 1979 the orchestra was finally assigned to TVK group C by increasing state subsidies . Since the state government continued to support the South Westphalian Philharmonic and institutionalized the orchestra money in the cultural budget, it became possible in 1990 to classify the orchestra as a collective B-orchestra.

This decision was one of the most significant events in the history of the orchestra. Since 1992, the orchestra has been authorized to bear the name of the State Orchestra of North Rhine-Westphalia because of its outstanding services to orchestral culture throughout the state . The constant concert activity throughout the country is expressly desired and rewarded with high state subsidies.

1997–2002 - The South Westphalia Philharmonic Orchestra

In the years 1997 to 2002 “a kind of drama is going on in the south of Westphalia. With a problematic initial situation, a supposed solution, a constantly worsening situation, a catastrophic crisis and a turn to something new, different, apparently better. "(Claudia Irle-Utsch, Siegener Zeitung)

In 1996, what had been discussed for a year becomes public - the orchestral model Hagen / Siegen (Hilchenbach), which on the one hand is to ensure performance at the Hagen Theater and on the other hand to maintain the South Westphalia Philharmonic as a concert orchestra. According to a feasibility study by the Hagen head of culture, this was only possible in the long run by merging the two orchestras. The city of Hagen no longer had the financial means for its own municipal orchestra, in Hilchenbach there were more and more revenue losses due to decreasing capacity utilization. The aim should be a multifunctional body of sound that had to fulfill a double task with reasonable economic efficiency.

After weighing the advantages and disadvantages in several reports, the ten-year orchestra association Philharmonic Orchestra South Westphalia was launched in 1997 . Despite a common roof, a chief conductor and uniform management, both orchestras remained independent and, in addition to joint appearances, also gave their own concerts.

First the signs point to hope; large concerts attract a lot of attention. In a positive interim balance from the Siegener Zeitung from the year 2000, increasing visitor numbers and a high utilization of the orchestra stand alongside new artistic opportunities. And yet, behind the scenes, doubts about the network concept are growing more and more frequently. Underfunding is a particular cause for concern.

The consolidation concept of an external company made it clear by 2002 that the orchestra could not work through its deficits on its own. The state of North Rhine-Westphalia demands a solid financial concept; various future scenarios are thought out. In Hagen they are in favor of the model of complete orchestral fusion, which is rejected in Siegen. There you have the opaque administrative structures in the back of your mind and feel your way back to independence.

The signs point to a new beginning. With the financial support of the district , the Hilchenbach Orchestra returned to its independent orchestra in August 2002 - henceforth under the name of Philharmonie Südwestfalen .

Since 2002 - The Philharmonie Südwestfalen

Until the mid-1990s she was often a guest orchestra at the NRW opera stages, but since then the Philharmonie Südwestfalen has established itself as a concert orchestra. The program includes more than 100 concerts in the region each year as well as guest performances at home and abroad. Naturally, the focus of the program is on the classical symphonic repertoire. The offer has been supplemented by new concert formats, including current chamber music, "PhilSW Barock", "Teddy Bear Concerts" for children of kindergarten age and the "Young classics" series. The concert formats that have been successful for years are very popular. For almost 30 years, the Philharmonie Südwestfalen, in cooperation with the education authority of the Siegen-Wittgenstein district, has been offering concerts for primary school students in grades 3 and 4, which all students in these grades attend as part of their lessons. Chamber music is played by the members of the orchestra in many different formations. In addition, the Philharmonie Südwestfalen is committed to promoting young conductors in regular cooperation with the Conductors' Forum of the German Music Council and with music academies .

The Philharmonie Südwestfalen has another important task as the only professional orchestra in the region. You are important for the network for classical music on a professional level, regionally and beyond. Many of the orchestra members are sought-after soloists and chamber musicians, be it in early music or in formations for contemporary music. The Philharmonie Südwestfalen is an important partner for the municipalities and other cultural providers, which also includes cultural institutes of the fine arts such as the Siegen Museum for Contemporary Art . Rolf Agop, Jorge Rotter, Neil Varon, David Stern, Georg Fritzsch and Russell N. Harris shaped the orchestra as chief conductors.

The Canadian Charles Olivieri-Munroe was appointed chief conductor of the Philharmonie Südwestfalen at the beginning of the 2011/12 season; his term of office ended in 2018. From the almost 200 applications for his successor, Nabil Shehata, the previous chief conductor of the Munich Chamber Opera, was elected as the new chief conductor. In the final round of a multi-stage selection process, he prevailed against Ido Arat (Kapellmeister and assistant to the general music director at the Deutsche Oper in Berlin) and Stefanos Tsialis (chief conductor of the Thuringian Philharmonic in Gotha) while conducting a rehearsal concert. He started his job in summer 2019 at the beginning of the 2019/20 season.

Chief conductor

Sponsoring association, sponsoring association and foundation

From 1952 the Orchester Siegerland-Wittgenstein eV was responsible for the financial issues of the newly founded orchestra. When the two orchestras of the school were merged in 1957, the new sponsoring association Siegerland-Orchester eV took over economic responsibility.

In 1981 a new course was set at the organizational level of the sponsoring association: The city of Siegen withdrew from orchestra administration and left the management of the association to the district administration .

The last name change of the association was made after the failed merger with the municipal orchestra Hagen in 2002. The name of the orchestra was also changed to that of the supporting association for Philharmonie Südwestfalen eV

If the district of Siegen-Wittgenstein and the state of North Rhine-Westphalia also provide basic funding, the orchestra's association, which has existed since 1959, is responsible for special support. Internships were financed, advanced training courses and composition commissions were carried out, and CD recordings, concerts and instrument purchases were subsidized.

In addition, music lover and art patron Barbara Lambrecht-Schadeberg was able to set up the Philharmonie Südwestfalen charitable foundation together with the Siegen-Wittgenstein district in 2006 to partially finance the orchestra . With share capital of 6.5 million euros, not only was the largest music-related foundation in North Rhine-Westphalia created, but also an exemplary collaboration between private and public authorities.

Discography

  • 1960 LP Rachmaninoff (2nd piano concerto), Tchaikovsky (1st piano concerto) / piano: Claude Kahn, conductor: Thomas Ungar
  • 1968 LP by Webern (Passacaglia op.1), Strauss (Serenade for wind instruments op.7), Brahms (Haydn Variations) / conductor: Rolf Agop
  • 1970 LP Bach (cantata “Gloria in excelsis Deo” No. 191), Handel (Laudate pueri Dominum, Psalm 112) / conductor: Matthias Büchel
  • 1975 LP
  • 1978 LP Reger (Mozart Variations), Haydn (Symphony No. 21) / conductor: Jorge Rotter
  • 1980 LP Bruckner (Requiem) / Bonner Bachgemeinschaft, conductor: Herbert Ermert
  • 1980 LP WDR recording Coates (Symphony No. 1) / Conductor: Jorge Rotter (published 2006)
  • 1982 LP Weber (Freischütz overture), Nicolai (overture Die Lustigen Frauen von Windsor), Schubert (overture, inter-act and ballet music Rosamunde) / conductor: Jorge Rotter
  • 1983 LP Schweizer (Switzerland) / Conductor: Jorge Rotter
  • 1986 LP Sacred choral music from four centuries / Singing group “Happy Message”, conductor: Johannes Haas
  • 1986 CD Zajc (Opera Nikola Subic Zrinski) / Munich Chamber Choir and Choir of the Munich Singers' Group, conductor: Ivan Cerovac
  • 1989 LP Popular Overtures and Intermezzi / Conductor: Neil Varon
  • 1990 LP New Voices, European Singing Competition / Conductor: Neil Varon
  • 1992 CD Cherubini (Requiem) / Philharmonic Choir Siegen, conductor: Herbert Ermert
  • 1994 CD Hummel (piano concertos in F major and A flat major) / piano: Nikolaus Lahusen, conductor: Hiroshi Kodama
  • 1994/98 CD Schumann (cello concerto, violin concerto) / cello: Julius Berger, violin: Hansheinz Schneeberger, conductor: Florian Merz
  • 1995 CD Schumann (Overture, Scherzo and Finale in E major, 4th Symphony) / Conductor: Florian Merz
  • 1995 CD No beautiful country / conductor: Hein Panzer
  • 1996 CD Schumann (Scherzo in G minor from the symphony in C minor, fantasy for violin and orchestra, overture to Goethe's “Hermann and Dorothea”, “Tragedy” for soprano, tenor and orchestra, overture to “Scenes from Goethe's Faust”) / Soprano: Cornelia Wosnitza, tenor: Nagy Martin, violin: Hansheinz Schneeberger, conductor: Florian Merz
  • 1996 CD Serenades / Conductor: Rolf Agop
  • 1997 CD Nicolai (Symphony in G major) / Conductor: David Stern
  • 1998 CD Festive Opera Gala / Conductor: Linda Horowitz
  • 1998 CD Música Brasileira de Concerto / violin: Maria Constanca de Almeida Prado, soprano: Evi Zeller, conductor: Ricardo Rocha
  • 1998 CD Bruckner (6th symphony)
  • 1998 CD Nicolai (orchestral works) / piano: Claudius Tanski, conductor: David Stern
  • 2001 CD Bach-Werke live / violin: Natascha Korsakova, conductor: Georg Fritzsch
  • 2004 CD Mozart (violin concerto in D major), Sibelius (2nd symphony) / violin: Annette von Hehn, conductor: Russell N. Harris
  • 2008 CD Mozart (Sinfonia concertante), Elgar (Enigma Variations) / conductor: Russell N. Harris
  • 2009 CD Nicolai (orchestral works) / clarinet: Johannes Pieper, conductor: David Stern
  • 2013 CD various / Ivan Zenaty, violin, conductor: Charles Olivieri-Munroe

literature

  • Bär von Randow: The youth orchestra. Analysis and model. In: Musica, 1974.
  • Gernot Wojnarowicz [Ed.]: People for Music. 50 years of the South Westphalia Philharmonic. Siegen 2007. ISBN 978-3-923483-60-0
  • Wolfgang Haupt: The Siegerland Orchestra in its beginnings 1957-1963 . Brochure, Siegen 2010. District of Siegen Wittgenstein.
  • Subject: Name correction of the conductor Thomas Ungar! See also brochure, Siegen 2010. District of Siegen Wittgenstein!

Web links

Commons : Philharmonie Südwestfalen  - Collection of images

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Nabil Shehata becomes the new chief conductor website of the Philharmonie Südwestfalen. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
  2. ↑ Three finalists: Philharmonie Südwestfalen is looking for conductors Westfalenpost on December 11, 2018. Accessed on January 3, 2019.
  3. ↑ Siegener Zeitung of September 20, 2019: "S-Klassik": Chief conductor makes debut with Beethoven's ninth (with video): Nabil Shehata has arrived! Retrieved September 26, 2019 .