The Brandenburg State Orchestra Frankfurt

With 86 musicians, the Brandenburg State Orchestra Frankfurt (BSOF) is Brandenburg’s largest symphony orchestra and its only A-orchestra. It is one of the pillars of musical and cultural life in Brandenburg and was elevated to the status of state orchestra by the federal state government 30 years ago.

The history of the BSOF dates back to 1842. After the reunification of Germany, it established itself as a symphony orchestra with an influence extending far beyond Brandenburg. This is reflected in the orchestra’s busy schedule of guest performances, which has taken it on concert tours throughout Germany and Europe, and repeatedly to Japan and China. The State Orchestra has performed in venues such as the Golden Hall of the Vienna Musikverein, the Tonhalle Zurich, the Cologne Philharmonic Hall, the Shanghai Poly Grand Theatre, in Tokyo and at the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Festival.

In Potsdam, where the BSOF cooperates with the Nikolaisaal, among others, it can be heard regularly, as well as at the most important classical music festivals in Brandenburg: the Brandenburg Summer Concerts, the Kammeroper Schloss Rheinsberg, the Choriner Musiksommer and »Klassik ohne Grenzen«. In addition, it performs several times a season at the Berliner Philharmonie at the invitation of the Philharmonischer Chor Berlin and makes guest appearances with the Berlin Cathedral Choir at Berlin Cathedral, among other venues.

Dozens of CD recordings, some of which have won awards, and radio recordings with Deutschlandfunk and rbb underscore the quality of this orchestra.

Stars of the classical music scene are regular guests of the BSOF, which has had the privilege of working with Anastasia Kobekina, Simone Kermes, Sharon Kam, Ivo Pogorelich, Daniel Hope, Mstislav Rostropovich, Katharine Mehrling, Martin Helmchen, Alban Gerhardt, Markus Stenz and the well-known actors Martina Gedeck and Jörg Hartmann. In the 2025/26 season, the BSOF will perform under the baton of Sebastian Weigle, Anna Skryleva, Steven Sloane, Felix Mildenberger, Sebastian Lang-Lessing and Karl-Heinz Steffens, among others. It will also welcome world-class soloists such as violinist Tianwa Yang, horn player Radek Baborák, trumpeter Simon Höfele and double bassist Mikyung Sung, and will collaborate on crossover projects with Germany’s finest jazz musicians.

Since 2019, the BSOF has invited an »Artist in Residence« each season. In 2024/25, it collaborates with Matthias Schorn, principal clarinettist of the Vienna Philharmonic. Previous »Artists in Residence« at the BSOF have included Radek Baborák, Tianwa Yang, Simon Höfele and percussionist Alexej. Next in line for 2025/26 is ECHO KLASSIK award winner Alexander Krichel. During his residency, the pianist will perform works by Rachmaninoff, Ravel, Beethoven, Chopin and Brahms, among others.

The BSOF includes world premières in its programme every season, helping to bring exciting works by newcomers to the stage alongside those by established composers.

The BSOF has received multiple awards for its educational work. Its projects with thousands of children and young people from Brandenburg and Poland have set new standards in cultural education and intercultural dialogue. To this end, the BSOF works closely with its honorary conductor Howard Griffiths, who has made an important contribution to its educational work. In addition, the BSOF has been providing musical accompaniment for the critically acclaimed children’s operas at the Bayreuth Festival since 2010 and is testing new participatory formats.

Roland Ott has been Artistic Director of the BSOF since the 2018/19 season. During this time, the State Orchestra’s repertoire has been enhanced with new facets. This is evidenced by numerous crossover projects, new chamber music series, concerts in unusual venues, big band concerts and multimedia projects, some of which were created in collaboration with the Nikolaisaal and the Potsdam Art Museum »Barberini«. The BSOF has also expanded its guest performance activities. In 2024, it toured China for the first time. Cooperation with the Philharmonischer Chor Berlin, the Berlin Cathedral Choir, the Frankfurter Singakademie and the Adoramus Chamber Choir Słubice has also been intensified.

In the 2025/26 season, the BSOF will devote itself to concert performances of Wagner operas and great symphonies by Mahler and Richard Strauss, whose Alpine Symphony it will perform. This will be complemented by contemporary gems such as Wynton Marsalis’ Trumpet Concerto, as well as a swing and jazz programme. Examples include the »Moon River« concert with jazz singer Sophie Grobler and the fiery South American New Year’s concert with Argentine musician Lily Dahab and Norbert Nagel.