WDR Funkhausorchester

Kölner Philharmonie
Funkhaus Wallrafplatz

Principal conductorFrank StrobelWebsiteOfficial website

The WDR Funkhausorchester is a German broadcast orchestra of the Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR, West German Broadcasting) in Cologne. The orchestra gives its concerts in such venues as the Kölner Philharmonie and in the Funkhaus Wallrafplatz.

History

Groups from which the orchestra was formed date back to 1927. In its present form, the orchestra was founded in 1947, with Hermann Hagestedt as its first chief conductor. The orchestra has been known previously as the Kölner Rundfunkorchester.^[1]^[2]

The orchestra's repertoire includes a full range of popular music, musicals, opera and operetta, film and classical music, including lesser-known oratorio and "easy listening" music. For several years, the orchestra has worked with younger conductors such as Titus Engel and Rasmus Baumann.^[3]^[4]

The orchestra's most recent chief conductor was Wayne Marshall, who held the post from 2014^[5] through 2020.^[6] The orchestra's current principal guest conductor is Enrico Delamboye. In November 2020, the orchestra announced the appointment of Frank Strobel as its next chief conductor, effective in the autumn of 2021.^[7]

Chief conductors

Hermann Hagestedt (1947–1968)
Franz Marszalek (1949–1965)
Curt Cremer (1968–1989)
Heinz Geese (1968–1995)
Helmuth Froschauer (1997–2006)
Michail Jurowski (2006–2008)
Niklas Willén (2010–2013)
Wayne Marshall (2014–2020)
Frank Strobel (2021–present)

References

^ "WDR Funkhausorchester". WDR (in German). 16 August 2024. Archived from the original on 19 August 2024. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
^ Lanzerath, Cora (24 August 2022). "1. September 1947 - Der NWDR gründet die Kölner Klangkörper". WDR (in German). Retrieved 20 August 2024.
^ "Die Stummfilmmusik zu Karl Grunes Drama "Schlagende Wetter"". nmz (in German). Archived from the original on 19 August 2024. Retrieved 7 November 2020.
^ Triantafyllidis, Deborrah (27 June 2014). "Rasmus Baumann im Interview". Lokalkompass (in German). Archived from the original on 13 November 2020. Retrieved 7 November 2020.
^ "Wayne Marshall wird neuer Chefdirigent" (Press release). WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne. 14 March 2013. Archived from the original on 19 August 2024. Retrieved 4 March 2016.
^ "Der englische Allroundmusiker verlässt das WDR Funkhausorchester". WDR 3 TonArt. 29 June 2020. Archived from the original on 13 November 2020. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
^ "Frank Strobel – Neuer Chefdirigent WDR Funkhausorchester ab 2021/22" (Press release). WDR. 4 November 2020. Archived from the original on 6 November 2020. Retrieved 6 November 2020.