About
The Philharmonie Südwestfalen has carried the title of State Orchestra of North Rhine-Westfalia since 1992. Based in Hilchenbach / Siegen-Wittgenstein, the Philharmonic is active in the entire South Westfalia region, in addition to regular guest-performances across Germany, as well as in Holland, Belgium, Switzerland, Italy, and the Czech Republic. Successful tours to France and in 2006/07 to China underline the international recognition of the orchestra. Guest performances have included the 2007 Menuhin Festival in Gstaad, Switzerland, Rome in 2010, as well as in Milan in 2011, 2014, and 2017. In 2016 the Philharmonie Südwestfalen was active as a festival orchestra with numerous performances in Switzerland. In the 2017-18 season, the orchestra is to perform on three separate occasions in the Concertgebouw Amsterdam.
An orchestra excelling in classical, romantic, as well as modern concert repertoire, the Philharmonie Südwestfalen has benefitted, to much acclaim, from its open-minded programming. Everything from modern works to rediscovered baroque pieces can be heard regularly throughout the season. In 2007 the Philharmonie premiered two commissioned pieces by the composers Iris ter Schiphorst and Gerhard Stäbler. Traditionally the orchestra is accompanied by a multitude of choirs from the region and beyond. The Philharmonie is regularly invited as a guest orchestra to perform with the finest vocal stars at renown music theaters of the region, including Cologne, Bonn, Düsseldorf and Essen.
Philharmonie Südwestfalen places particular emphasis on education. The orchestra performs several 'Teddy-Bear Concerts' for kindergarten-aged children, an annual series of school concerts for elementary students, as well as maintaining partnerships with Märkischen Youth Orchestra and the Siegen Music School. The Philharmonie is also actively involved in the advancement of young talented conductors in regular collaboration with the Conductors Forum of the Deutscher Musikrat, as well as with the music universities.
In recent years, the Philharmonie Südwestfalen has developed several new concert formats. The concert series Young Classics has become an audience favorite. Film Music and Proms concerts are a huge hit while the thematic programs for the KulturPur Festival have become legendary. A completely new audience has been reached through 'Final Fantasy' video-game-music concerts. The musicians of the Philharmonie Südwestfalen present numerous chamber music concerts in smaller settings, including modern programs at the Siegen Museum of Modern Art. In addition to regular recordings and programs for German radio, the orchestra could be seen live on WDR television for the Advent Concert (attended by the North-Rhein Westfalian Minister-President) in 2006, 2007, 2013, and 2016.
The Philharmonie Südwestfalen has been led by Canadian conductor Charles Olivieri-Munroe since the 2011/12 season.