Kölner Kammerorchester & Christoph Poppen
Biography Kölner Kammerorchester & Christoph Poppen
Cologne Chamber Orchestra
Warm string sound, sensitive examination of musical structures, extraordinary interpretations - this is what the audience appreciates and loves about "its" Cologne Chamber Orchestra. Christoph Poppen, Principal Conductor of the Kölner Kammerorchester, is intensively engaged with the musical tradition of the orchestra and focuses on works by J. S. Bach, Beethoven and Mozart in his 6th season, which is filled with vocal highlights. Which composers would offer a more beautiful challenge to bring the strengths of this orchestra to the fore?
The Cologne Chamber Orchestra, the oldest chamber orchestra in Germany, will be able to celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2023. In 1923, the idea of interpretation appropriate to the works led to its founding. In 1963, Helmut Müller-Brühl took over from the conductors of the early years - Hermann Abendroth and later Erich Kraack. A highly acclaimed guest tour to Switzerland with the pianist Wilhelm Kempff in 1964 marked the beginning of collaborations with numerous internationally renowned soloists. Since then, Müller-Brühl and the orchestra have celebrated impressive successes in Europe, North and South America, Asia and at international festivals.
As part of the Brühl Castle Concerts, founded by Helmut Müller-Brühl and under his artistic direction for more than three decades, the Cologne Chamber Orchestra regularly performed opera productions and concerts as a festival orchestra. Since 1988 it has organised the concert series "Das Meisterwerk" in the Kölner Philharmonie.
Traditionally, young soloists who were considered newcomers or insider tips were invited to the Kölner Philharmonie by the Kölner Kammerorchester. Julia Fischer made her debut as a 17-year-old in the concert series "Das Meisterwerk"; names such as Christoph Eschenbach, Christine Schäfer and Alban Gerhardt are closely associated with the concert series.
Over 200 CD and recordings, radio and television productions by the Cologne Chamber Orchestra document a repertoire of more than 500 masterpieces and unknown treasures. Since 1995, the orchestra has been associated with the worldwide CD label Naxos through a constantly growing repertoire. In 2001, the recording of Telemann's three "Darmstadt Overtures" was awarded the Cannes Classical Award.
International guest appearances have taken the orchestra on several successful tours to South Korea, to the Netherlands with a semi-staged opera by Haydn "Lo Speziale" under the direction of Jan Willem de Vriend, and most recently to Portugal for Christoph Poppen's "Festival Internacional de Música de Marvao", the fourth "residency" in a row. In addition, the Cologne Chamber Orchestra has made repeated guest appearances at renowned festivals. In spring 2019, the orchestra is invited to an extensive tour of Asia.
Christoph Poppen
From the start of his conducting career, Christoph Poppen established an international reputation for innovative programming and commitment to contemporary music. A frequent guest conductor, he has appeared with the Bamberger Symphoniker, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Staatskapelle Dresden, Wiener Symphoniker, Orchestre philharmonique de Radio France, Detroit and Indianapolis symphony orchestras, Orquestra Sinfônica do Estado de São Paulo, New Japan Philharmonic, Singapore Symphony Orchestra, Camerata Salzburg and at the Biennale in Venice.
In the 2019/20 season, Christoph Poppen will continue his highly successful collaborations with the Kölner Kammerorchester in his role as Principal Conductor and as Principal Guest Conductor of Hong Kong Sinfonietta. Other highlights include engagements with Bilkent Symphony Orchestra and the Welsh National Opera amongst others. Working relationships connect him to important orchestras such as Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, Residentie Orkest, Netherlands Philharmonic and Israel Chamber orchestras, Deutsche Radiophilharmonie Saarbrücken Kaiserslautern, Athens State Orchestra and others.
As an opera conductor, he very successfully led a production of Die Entführung aus dem Serail at Aalto Theatre in Essen and performances of Gluck’s Iphigénie en Aulide at Staatsoper Stuttgart. In 2016 he returned to the Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa for a production of Don Giovanni. He conducted performances of Les pêcheurs de perles at Oper Frankfurt – which led to an immediate re-invitation for Die Zauberflöte – and created the new production of Sing For Me, Death by composer Claude Vivier with the RuhrTriennale company in Gelsenkirchen. In 2017 he conducted Weber’s Oberon in concert version at Opera Köln.
Over the years, Christoph Poppen has held a number of significant Directorships in Germany. From 1995 to 2006, he was Artistic Director of the Münchener Kammerorchester, establishing the ensemble’s new profile in a short period of time. His distinctive programmes, based on a contrast of classical and contemporary music with numerous commissioned works, met with huge success. In August 2006, he was appointed Music Director of the Radio Symphony Orchestra Saarbrücken, and from 2007 until 2011 he was the Music Director of the newly formed Deutsche Radiophilharmonie Saarbrücken Kaiserslautern.
Under his artistic leadership the Festival Internacional de Música de Marvão (Portugal) has grown to become a highly successful and award-winning musical happening featuring soloists such as Jörg Widmann, Augustin Hadelich, Javier Perianes and Clara-Jumi Kang.
Christoph Poppen was appointed professor of violin and chamber music at the Hochschule für Musik in Detmold, and later at the Hanns Eisler Hochschule für Musik in Berlin, where he was President from 1996 through 2000. From 2001 through to 2005, Christoph Poppen was Artistic Director of the renowned ARD International Music Competition. Since 2003, Christoph Poppen has held a post as professor for violin and chamber music at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Munich. In 2019, he founded the International Academy for Music, Arts and Science in Marvão/Portugal.
