Staatskapelle Berlin

With a tradition of more than 450 years, Staatskapelle Berlin is one of the oldest orchestras in the world. Originally founded as court orchestra by Prince-Elector Joachim II of Brandenburg in 1570 the ensemble expanded its activities with the founding of the Royal Court Opera in 1742 by Frederick the Great. Ever since then, the orchestra has been closely tied to Staatsoper Unter den Linden.

Many important musicians have conducted the orchestra, both in the opera and in the regular concert series that have been held since 1842, among them Gaspare Spontini, Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, Giacomo Meyerbeer, Felix von Weingartner, Richard Strauss, Erich Kleiber, Wilhelm Furtwängler, Herbert von Karajan, Franz Konwitschny, and Otmar Suitner.

For more than 30 years, from the end of 1991 until January 2023, Daniel Barenboim has served as the orchestra’s general music director. At numerous guest appearances that have brought the orchestra to the great European music centers, to Israel, the Far East, North and South America, the international top position of the orchestra has proved. The performance of all symphonies and piano concertos of Beethoven in Vienna, Paris, London, New York and Tokyo, and the cycles of symphonies of Schumann and Brahms, the ten-part cycle of all important stage works by Wagner, and the performance of Wagner’s Ring cycle in Japan 2002 are some of the most outstanding events. 2007 the symphonies and orchestral songs of Gustav Mahler were performed under the batons of Daniel Barenboim and Pierre Boulez at Philharmonie Berlin. This ten-part cycle was also performed at Vienna’s Musikverein as well as New York’s Carnegie Hall. Highlights in recent time were a nine-part cycle with symphonies by Anton Bruckner in Vienna (June 2012) and concert performances of Wagner’s Ring during the Proms in London (Summer 2013). The celebrated Bruckner cycle was 2016 and 2017 presented again in Suntory Hall Tokyo as well in Carnegie Hall New York and in Philharmonie Paris.

A constantly growing number of recordings in both the operatic and symphonic repertoires documents the work of Staatskapelle Berlin. Most recently, recordings of all nine Bruckner symphonies, of the piano concertos by Chopin, Liszt and Brahms as well as large symphonic works by Strauss and Elgar were released. In addition several opera productions were produced among them Wagner’s Tannhäuser, Parsifaland Tristan and Isolde, Verdi’s Il trovatoreand Falstaff, Berg’s Lulu, Rimsky-Korsakov’s The Tsar’s Bride, Schumann’s Scenes from Goethe‘s Faust (all under the baton of Daniel Barenboim) as well as Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro (with Gustavo Dudamel conducting), Strauss’s Rosenkavalier (with Zubin Mehta), Janáčekʼs Jenůfa (with Simon Rattle), and Wagners Der Ring des Nibelungen (with Christian Thielemann). On the occation of the 450th birthday of Staatskapelle Berlin a CD edition with “Great Recordings” under the batons of important conductors was published as well a book and an exhibtion promoting the long and rich history of the orchestra.

During the season 2022-23 Staatskapelle Berlin gave guest concerts in Japan and South Korea as well as in Denmark, Vienna and Paris. The tour to Asia took place under the direction of Christian Thielemann who also conducted a new production of Wagner’s Ring in autumn 2022 at Staatsoper Unter den Linden. At the end of 2023 Staatskapelle Berlin perform the four Brahms symphonies in four outstanding musical centres in Canada and the USA.

In September 2023 Christian Thielemann was appointed as new general music director; with beginning of the season 2024-25 he assumed this office. During his first season he conducts four regular symphony concerts with Staatskapelle Berlin, in addition to a series of extra orchestra concerts including an open air event at Berlin Bebelplatz (“Staatsoper for all“) and guest concerts in Vienna. Furthermore Staatskapelle Berlin was on tour in Lucerne, Cologne, and Brno in autumn 2024.

www.staatskapelle-berlin.de

Upcoming events with Staatskapelle Berlin

March

Il barbiere di Siviglia

Gioachino Rossini
Duration: approx. 2:55 hrs including one interval after act one

Cast

  • For the last time this season

Les Contes d’Hoffmann

Jacques Offenbach
Duration: approx. 3:30 hrs including two intervals

Cast

  • Festtage 2026

Der Rosenkavalier

Richard Strauss
Duration: approx. 4:40 hrs including two intervals after act one and act two

Cast

  • Festtage 2026

Der Rosenkavalier

Richard Strauss
Duration: approx. 4:40 hrs including two intervals after act one and act two

Cast

April

  • Festtage 2026,
  • For the last time this season

Der Rosenkavalier

Richard Strauss
Duration: approx. 4:40 hrs including two intervals after act one and act two

Cast

  • Family Performance

Die Zauberflöte

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Duration: approx. 3:00 hrs including one interval after act one

Cast

Sym­pho­nie­kon­zert VI

Christian Thielemann, Julia Kleiter, Konstantin Krimmel
Duration: approx. 2 hrs including one interval

Richard Strauss

Orchesterlieder

Verführung op. 33/1
Nächtlicher Gang op. 44/2
Muttertändelei op. 43/2
Ruhe meine Seele op. 27/1
Pilgers Morgenlied op. 33/4
Morgen op. 27/4
Hymnus op. 33/3
Waldseligkeit op. 49/1

Ludwig van Beethoven

Symphony No. 6 F-Dur op. 68 Pastorale

Ouverture to Egmont op. 84

Sym­pho­nie­kon­zert VI

Christian Thielemann, Julia Kleiter, Konstantin Krimmel
Duration: approx. 2 hrs including one interval

Richard Strauss

Orchesterlieder

Verführung op. 33/1
Nächtlicher Gang op. 44/2
Muttertändelei op. 43/2
Ruhe meine Seele op. 27/1
Pilgers Morgenlied op. 33/4
Morgen op. 27/4
Hymnus op. 33/3
Waldseligkeit op. 49/1

Ludwig van Beethoven

Symphony No. 6 F-Dur op. 68 Pastorale

Ouverture to Egmont op. 84

Ariadne auf Naxos

Richard Strauss
Duration: approx. 2:30 hrs including one interval after act 1

Cast

  • Family Performance

Ariadne auf Naxos

Richard Strauss
Duration: approx. 2:30 hrs including one interval after act 1

Cast

  • For the last time this season

The Turn of the Screw

Opera in a prologue and two acts by Benjamin Britten
Duration: approx. 1:45 h without interval

Cast

  • For the last time this season

Ariadne auf Naxos

Richard Strauss
Duration: approx. 2:30 hrs including one interval after act 1

Cast

  • Family Performance

Madama Butterfly

Giacomo Puccini
Duration: approx. 2:50 hrs including one interval after act one

Cast

  • For the last time this season

Madama Butterfly

Giacomo Puccini
Duration: approx. 2:50 hrs including one interval after act one

Cast

May

Die schweigsame Frau

Richard Strauss
Duration: approx. 3:40 hrs including two intervals

Cast

Die schweigsame Frau

Richard Strauss
Duration: approx. 3:40 hrs including two intervals

Cast

Die schweigsame Frau

Richard Strauss
Duration: approx. 3:40 hrs including two intervals

Cast

Die Zauberflöte

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Duration: approx. 3:00 hrs including one interval after act one

Cast

  • For the last time this season

Die Zauberflöte

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Duration: approx. 3:00 hrs including one interval after act one

Cast

Die schweigsame Frau

Richard Strauss
Duration: approx. 3:40 hrs including two intervals

Cast

  • For the last time this season

Die schweigsame Frau

Richard Strauss
Duration: approx. 3:40 hrs including two intervals

Cast

June

Don Carlo

Giuseppe Verdi
Duration: approx. 3:30 hrs including one interval after act two

Cast

Don Carlo

Giuseppe Verdi
Duration: approx. 3:30 hrs including one interval after act two

Cast

  • Family Performance

Sym­pho­nie­kon­zert VIII

François-Xavier Roth, Renaud Capuçon
Duration: approx. 2 hrs including one interval

Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy

Violinkonzert e-Moll op. 64

Maurice Ravel

Daphnis et Chloé (Ballett in drei Teilen)

  • Family Performance

Sym­pho­nie­kon­zert VIII

François-Xavier Roth, Renaud Capuçon
Duration: approx. 2 hrs including one interval

Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy

Violinkonzert e-Moll op. 64

Maurice Ravel

Daphnis et Chloé (Ballett in drei Teilen)

Don Carlo

Giuseppe Verdi
Duration: approx. 3:30 hrs including one interval after act two

Cast

Don Carlo

Giuseppe Verdi
Duration: approx. 3:30 hrs including one interval after act two

Cast

Pelléas et Mélisande

Drame lyrique in five acts by Claude Debussy
Duration: approx. 3:15 h including one interval after act three

Cast

Pelléas et Mélisande

Drame lyrique in five acts by Claude Debussy
Duration: approx. 3:15 h including one interval after act three

Cast

  • For the last time this season

Don Carlo

Giuseppe Verdi
Duration: approx. 3:30 hrs including one interval after act two

Cast

July

Pelléas et Mélisande

Drame lyrique in five acts by Claude Debussy
Duration: approx. 3:15 h including one interval after act three

Cast

  • Family Performance

Samson et Dalila

Camille Saint-Saëns
Duration: approx. 2:40 hrs, including one interval after act two

Cast

  • For the last time this season

Pelléas et Mélisande

Drame lyrique in five acts by Claude Debussy
Duration: approx. 3:15 h including one interval after act three

Cast

  • For the last time this season

Samson et Dalila

Camille Saint-Saëns
Duration: approx. 2:40 hrs, including one interval after act two

Cast

September

October

November

December

  • Family Performance

Sym­pho­nie­kon­zert III

Marie Jacquot, Antoine Tamestit

Modest Mussorgsky

Eine Nacht auf dem kahlen Berge

Béla Bartók

Viola concert

Modest Mussorgsky

Bilder einer Ausstellung
(Orchestration: Maurice Ravel)

Cast

Start of ticket sales on 18. April 2026 12.00 noon.

January 2027

  • Family Performance

Sym­pho­nie­kon­zert IV

Christian Thielemann, María Dueñas

Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy

Meeresstille und glückliche Fahrt op. 27

Concert for Violin and string orchestra d-Moll

Ouverture to Ein Sommernachtstraum op. 21

Symphony No. 5 d-Moll op. 107 Reformations-Symphonie

Start of ticket sales on 18. April 2026 12.00 noon.
  • Family Performance

Sym­pho­nie­kon­zert IV

Christian Thielemann, María Dueñas

Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy

Meeresstille und glückliche Fahrt op. 27

Concert for Violin and string orchestra d-Moll

Ouverture to Ein Sommernachtstraum op. 21

Symphony No. 5 d-Moll op. 107 Reformations-Symphonie

Start of ticket sales on 18. April 2026 12.00 noon.

February 2027

March 2027

  • Family Performance,
  • For the last time this season

Les Contes d’Hoffmann

Jacques Offenbach
Duration: approx. 3:30 hrs including two intervals

Cast

Start of ticket sales on 18. April 2026 12.00 noon.
  • Festtage 2027,
  • For the last time this season

Tannhäuser

Richard Wagner
Duration: approx. 4:25 hrs including two intervals after act one and two

Cast

Start of Festtage-Package sale on 28 March 2026

  • Festtage 2027

Festtage-Konzert Staatskapelle Berlin

Christian Thielemann, Julia Kleiter, Patricia Nolz, Klaus Florian Vogt, René Pape

Ludwig van Beethoven

Symphonie No. 9 d-Moll op. 125

Start of Festtage-Package sale on 28 March 2026

April 2027

  • Family Performance,
  • For the last time this season

Ariadne auf Naxos

Richard Strauss
Duration: approx. 2:30 hrs including one interval after act 1

Cast

Start of ticket sales on 18. April 2026 12.00 noon.

May 2027

  • For the last time this season

Rigoletto

Giuseppe Verdi
Duration: approx. 2:40 hrs including one interval after act one

Cast

Start of ticket sales on 18. April 2026 12.00 noon.

June 2027

Sym­pho­nie­kon­zert VIII

Jakub Hrůša, Christian Gerhaher

Ludwig van Beethoven

Ouvertüre Leonore III op. 72b

Antonín Dvořák

Ouverture Othello op. 93

Gustav Mahler

Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen

Leoš Janáček

Sinfonietta

Cast

Start of ticket sales on 18. April 2026 12.00 noon.

Sym­pho­nie­kon­zert VIII

Jakub Hrůša, Christian Gerhaher

Ludwig van Beethoven

Ouvertüre Leonore III op. 72b

Antonín Dvořák

Ouverture Othello op. 93

Gustav Mahler

Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen

Leoš Janáček

Sinfonietta

Cast

Start of ticket sales on 18. April 2026 12.00 noon.

July 2027