Bochum Symphony Orchestra
Photo: Bochumer Symphoniker/Christoph Fein
In 1919, the orchestra had its first public appearance and over the years, it developed into one of the leading orchestras in western Germany. Under several General Music Directors and with avant garde programmes, it developed a wide reputation. Composers such as Paul Hindemith, Ernst Krenek and Erwin Schulhoff performed their own works with the Bochumer Symphoniker.
Participations in famous festivals, numerous guestperformances such as at the Kölner Philharmonie, the Konzerthaus Dortmund or the Essener Philharmonie (there, the Bochumer Symphoniker are staging a cycle of the complete works of Gustav Mahler) as well as a regular participation in the Klavierfestival Ruhr have strengthened the Bochumer Symphoniker’s reputation as an innovative orchestra.
Also, the Bochumer Symphoniker have made their name as an internationally recognised orchestra. On their visits to Israel, Austria, the USA and Estonia they were just as convincing as during the concerts they staged at the international cultural festival Ruhrtriennale, especially the internationally recognised and acclaimed production of Zimmermann’s "Die Soldaten", which was also invited to open the Lincoln Center Festival in New York 2008.
In 1994, the israeli-american conductor Steven Sloane became General Music Director of the Bochumer Symphoniker. Steven Sloane’s innovative programmes as well as his committed and enthusiastic way of working with the orchestra manifested themselves in the doubling of their audience, with four times the subscriptions.
But not only audience and press have been enthusiastic about the unusual concert programmes: in 2004/2005 the Bochumer Symphoniker under Steven Sloane were given the annual award for the best concert programme the second time after 1996/1997, donated by the German Association of Music Editors.
Moreover, the orchestra recorded the complete works of the german writer of the late Romantic period, Joseph Marx, at the british label ASV. Shortly after the release of the first CD "Natur-Trilogie" it had been praised by the critic and member of the British Music Society Rob Barnett as "CD of the month". In 2004/2005 the orchestra was honoured with a Grammy nomination for the recording of Joseph Marx' "Orchesterlieder" with Angela Maria Blasi (Soprano) and Stella Doufexis (Mezzo-Soprano). Lately the Bochumer Symphoniker started the recording of several works of the american composer George Antheil for the german label cpo.