Berlin Deutsche Opera Orchestra
The history of the Orchestra of the Deutsche Oper Berlin is closely linked to that of its home city, with the ensemble being based in the opera house on Bismarckstraße since 1961. Principal conductors have included Bruno Walter, Ferenc Fricsay, Lorin Maazel, Christian Thielemann and Sir Donald Runnicles, who has been general music director since 2009.
Artistically, the orchestra focuses on the works of Wagner and Richard Strauss, as well as continually exploring contemporary music, with world premieres in recent years including Aribert Reimann’s L’invisible, Detlev Glanert’s Oceane, Chaya Czernowin’s Heart Chamber, Giorgio Battistelli’s Il Teorema die Pasolini and Rebecca Saunders’ Lash – Acts of Love.
The orchestra’s discography comprises more than 200 titles, including multiple award-winning and critically acclaimed releases. Audiovisual releases of Janáček’s Jenůfa and Zemlinsky’s Der Zwerg were nominated for GRAMMY Awards, and recent projects also include the highly praised Der Ring des Nibelungen under the baton of Sir Donald Runnicles.
