WDR Sinfonieorchester

The WDR Symphony Orchestra is one of the leading orchestras in Germany. Worldwide tours and award-winning CD productions strengthen its international reputation as a primary representative of the German orchestral scene. As an ensemble of the WDR broadcasting union and through its concert-series as well as its partnership with the largest regional concert halls and festivals the orchestra sets the scene for music production in North Rhine-Westphalia.

Since autumn 2019, the orchestra has been under the direction of Cristian Măcelaru. He is a regular guest conductor with major US and European orchestras, and since the 2020/21 season he has also held the position of Directeur Musicale with the Orchestre National de France. Cristian Măcelaru thus joins a long tradition of important principal conductors of the WDR Symphony Orchestra such as Christoph von Dohnányi, Gary Bertini, Semyon Bychkov and Jukka-Pekka Saraste.

In addition to its core repertoire of major symphonic works, the orchestra regularly showcases its flexibility in cross-epochal chamber music, in a specially conceived chamber music series, but also in concert formats that complement the major symphonic repertoire.

The orchestra’s identity also includes its involvement with contemporary music. Since the 1950s, the WDR Symphony Orchestra has been making music history with important premieres and is one of the most important commissioners of contemporary compositions.