The Konzerthaus Kammerorchester is celebrating its 15th birthday this year. Violinist Karoline Bestehorn from the board of the member-run ensemble recommends the concert on October 2 with works by Felix Mendelssohn and Johann Sebastian Bach.  The soloist is the artistic director of the Kammerorchester and KHO concertmaster Sayako Kusaka.

“I'm really looking forward to our first chamber orchestra concert this season! This time we are working together under the guidance of Stephan Mai, an absolute specialist in early music.
The rehearsals are completely unconventional: we sing a lot and speak the rhythm, sit in a circle and make as much contact with each other as possible.
Stephan said something during rehearsals that really touched me: 'Bach's fugues are like the ideal form of democracy. Everyone speaks at the same time and yet everyone understands everyone else. Something like that you can find only in paradise or with old Bach!”

Moritz Hellmich grew up in London and yearns for a stroll along the Thames from time to time. From October 18 to 20, at least he can look forward to “Britten's finely chiselled violin concerto and the thoughtful, serious Enigma Variations” with the Konzerthausorchester, conductor Stephanie Childress and solo violinist Noa Wildshut. Before his inner eye, says the visitor service employee, the image arises as if “the concert hall is being dismantled brick by brick and the Royal Albert Hall is being rebuilt around the orchestra from the building site.”

Anne Eiselein from the Communications department is looking forward to the Night Session on October 26, for which Joana Mallwitz and the Konzerthausorchester are once again expecting a special guest on a topic that connects their world and that of the orchestra. This time it's all about “timing”, and a very well-known actor has been invited:

"Matthias Brandt's involvement is an indicator of the quality of a production in itself. I have spent numerous exciting Sunday evenings with his detective character Hanns von Meuffels. Whether on the theater stage or the big screen, not much can go wrong when he's involved! The insights that he provides away from his characters in interviews and portraits are also interesting. That's why I'm really looking forward to the conversation with him and Joana Mallwitz on the subject of 'timing' and his connection to classical music. As an actor, does he feel more like a 'soloist', or more 'part of an orchestra'?

Manuela Geulen, head of our visitor service, has a soft spot for Italy and beautiful singing voices. The baroque program that Concerto Köln and soprano Jeanine de Bique will be performing on November 3 is a perfect match for both of these passions.

“I love baroque music and think that the operas of this era in particular, with their antique themes, are incredibly modern and still relevant for today's society. There were actually far more men in female roles in art back then than there are today, without it being a big issue! I never get bored of the music of this period with its coloratura and ornamentation. I'm particularly looking forward to Handel in the program with soprano Jeanine de Bique, who we were already able to experience as Agathe at our anniversary Freischütz. I sing in the choir myself and therefore know that Handel is simply wonderful for any singer. And apart from the great soloist, I really appreciate chamber orchestra concerts anyway. Small ensembles like Concerto Köln often have a particularly intense sound for me, because the musicians are completely in tune with each other.”

Our cellist Nerina Mancini is a big fan of honorary conductor Iván Fischer. She is already looking forward to the next programme the Konzerthausorchester will play with him on November, 8 & 10.

“I wholeheartedly recommend our concert with Iván Fischer, who for me is one of the best conductors of our time. We are playing excerpts from one of the most famous operas of all, Mozart's 'Magic Flute', but Iván Fischer has come up with some details you wouldn't expect. For example, countertenor Samuel Mariño is the King of the Night and contralto Gerhild Romberger is Sarastra! My eldest daughter loves the Queen of the Night's aria - ever since I told her about the role swap, she has been dying to hear the concert. Curious, too? See you at Konzerthausl!”