Bamberger Symphoniker

The Bamberg Symphony is the only orchestra of world renown that is not based in a vibrant metropolis. The "magnetic effect" of the orchestra goes above all outward: the traveling orchestra has been carrying its characteristically dark, somber and warm sound and the musical echo of its hometown into the world since 1946. With almost 7,500 concerts in over 500 cities and 63 countries, they have become a cultural ambassador for Bavaria and the whole of Germany. The Bamberg Symphony therefore describe their mission in short words as Resonating worldwide.

The circumstances of its founding make the Bamberg Symphony a mirror of German history: in 1946, ex-members of Prague’s German Philharmonic Orchestra met fellow musicians in Bamberg who had also had to flee their homes as a result of the war and its aftermath. Starting with the Prague orchestra, the orchestra’s lineage can be traced back to the 19th and 18th centuries. Thus the roots of the Bamberg Symphony reach back to Mahler and Mozart.

Now, more than 75 years after it was founded, and with Czech-born Jakub Hrůša, the Orchestra’s fifth Chief Conductor, at the helm since September 2016, once again there is a living link from the Bamberg Symphony’s historic roots to its present.

Since 2022, the Bamberg Symphony has set itself the goal of acting and traveling in a more climate-friendly manner. For trips abroad, efforts are being made to optimize travel routes and tour procedures. By financially supporting environmental projects, the orchestra attempts to offset most of the CO2 emissions caused by its travels itself.