Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie | |
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Symphony orchestra | |
Founded | 1950 |
Location | Herford, Germany |
Principal conductor | Jonathan Bloxham |
Website | www |
The Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie (North West German Philharmonic) is a German symphony orchestra based in Herford. Founded in 1950, the orchestra is one of the Landesorchester of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, along with the Philharmonie Südwestfalen and the Landesjugendorchester NRW. The orchestra is funded partly by the state of North Rhine-Westphalia[1] and an association of communities in the region Ostwestfalen-Lippe. Members of the association are the cities Bad Salzuflen, Bünde, Detmold, Herford, Lemgo, Minden and Paderborn and the districts Herford und Lippe.[2] The orchestra gives concerts in such venues as the Konzerthalle Bad Salzuflen and the Stadttheater Minden.
A predecessor of the Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie was founded in 1946 under this name in Bad Pyrmont by members of the former Linzer Reichs-Bruckner-Orchester and the Prager Deutsche Philharmonie. In 1950, this orchestra merged with the Herforder Sinfonisches Orchester. The new orchestra was first named Städtebund-Symphoniker, but in 1951 Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie.[2]
The orchestra collaborates with the German public radio station WDR3.[3] The players are engaged in pedagogical programs for schools and young listeners, reaching more than 12,000 children a year.[1]
The orchestra's most recent chief conductor was Jonathon Heyward, from 2021 to 2024. In April 2024, the orchestra announced the appointment of Jonathan Bloxham as its next chief conductor, effective with the 2024-2025 season, with an initial contract of three seasons.[4]
The orchestra has played in productions of stage works by Richard Wagner, an ongoing project of the Stadttheater Minden on an initiative by Jutta Hering-Winckler, president of the local Richard Wagner Society. The conductor has been Frank Beermann, GMD of the Chemnitz Opera:
Throughout the project, the orchestra was positioned at the back of the small stage. After the Ring cycle, a reviewer from the FAZ described the orchestra as "wunderbares Wagnerorchester"[6] (wonderful Wagner orchestra) precisely because it was unfamiliar with Wagner and had to learn every measure. He mentioned its brilliant, glowing and somber colours. and called it the "omniscient narrator and commentator, as well as the source of energy for the action" ("allwissender Erzähler und Kommentator wie Energiequelle des Geschehens").[6]
The orchestra has recorded more than 200 records and CDs. Various recording projects have included: