The
Essener Philharmoniker, or
Essen Philharmonic, is among the top symphonic ensembles in Germany's industrial northwest. The orchestra has played a major part in German musical history, performing the world premieres of several works that remain in the central classical repertory today.
The
Essener Philharmoniker grew gradually out of an amateur ensemble called the
Bergmusikkorps that dated back to the early 19th century. That group grew from eight to 24 members and became the
Essener Instrumentalverein, or
Essen Musical Association, in 1840. The orchestra was renamed the
Helfersche Kapelle (after its conductor, Hermann Helfer) and then the
Essener Kapelle in 1863. In 1899, many of that group's players were accepted into the new
Städtische Orchester Essen, or
Essen Municipal Orchestra, which moved in 1902 into a handsome new Saalbau Essen. That structure was destroyed in World War II but has been rebuilt twice since then, most recently in 2004, and remains the orchestra's home. In 1904,
Richard Strauss conducted his Symphonia domestica in the new hall. Two years later,
Gustav Mahler conducted the orchestra in the world premiere of his Symphony No. 6 in A minor. Other significant premieres followed, including that of
Max Reger's Böcklin Suite in 1913. Major conductors of the
Philharmoniker have included
Max Fiedler (1915-1933), Gustav König (1943-1975),
Heinz Wallberg (1975-1991), and
Stefan Soltesz (1997-2013). The orchestra's conductor since 2013 has been
Tomás Netopil. Some of the world's most famous conductors have mounted the podium as guests, including
Otto Klemperer,
Roger Norrington, and
Bernard Haitink. In addition to its regular-season concerts in Essen, the orchestra has toured, accompanying opera at the Semperoper in Dresden and performing at major German summer festivals.
After many years when it rarely recorded, the
Essener Philharmoniker has had a vigorous recording program in the 2010s and 2020s, mostly on the prestigious Oehms Classics label.
Netopil conducted the orchestra in a 2018 recording of
Mahler's Symphony No. 9, and in
Weber's opera Der Freischütz two years later. Since 1999, the
Essener Philharmoniker has maintained an Orchestral Academy devoted to the training, often on scholarship, of promising young musicians.