Staatskapelle Berlin
The world-renowned orchestra of the Berlin State Opera
Enjoy the Staatskapelle, one of the world’s top orchestras, conducted by Daniel Barenboim in concert or with the State Opera company in the Schiller Theater.
Staatskapelle Berlin orchestra's home is the Staatsoper (State Opera). Daniel Barenboim was appointed as the General Music Director of the Staatskapelle in 1992, and elected as their principal conductor for life in 2000. The annual Festtage Festival at the Staatsoper Berlin over Easter is one of the major highlights in the orchestra’s concert programme. In the 2016/2017 season, the orchestra will also be playing for performances of such great operas as Tosca by Giacomo Puccini and Don Giovanni by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, as well as the ballet Giselle with music by Adolphe Adam.
From court orchestra to worldwide fame
The Staatskapelle, founded as the court orchestra of the Elector of Brandenburg in 1570, is one of the oldest orchestras in the world. In 1742, when the Royal Court Opera was formed under Frederick the Great, the royal opera company and the Staatskapelle orchestra were merged. Today, the opera company is the Staatsoper – the State Opera – and the Staatskapelle orchestra accompanies the vast majority of its opera and ballet performances. The orchestra also presents its own concert series of great symphonic works from the classical, Romantic and modern period, including contemporary music. Renowned for its exceptional, dark and warm sound, the orchestra not only regularly performs in Berlin, but also at major venues throughout the world.
