Munich Philharmonic
Biography
The Munich Philharmonic (German: Münchner Philharmoniker) is a German symphony orchestra located in the city of Munich. It is one of Munich's four principal orchestras, along with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Munich Radio Orchestra and the Bavarian State Orchestra. Since 1985, the orchestra has been housed in the Gasteig culture centre. The orchestra was founded in Munich in 1893 by Franz Kaim, son of a piano manufacturer, as the Kaim Orchestra. In 1895, it took up residence in the city's Tonhalle (concert hall). It soon attracted distinguished conductors: Gustav Mahler first directed the group in 1897 and premiered his Symphony No. 4 and Symphony No. 8 with the orchestra, while Bruno Walter directed the orchestra for the posthumous premiere of Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde. Felix Weingartner was music director from 1898 to 1905, and the young Wilhelm Furtwängler made his auspicious conducting debut there in 1906. Meanwhile, Anton Bruckner pupil Ferdinand Löwe established an enduring tradition of Bruckner performance which continues to this day. After Celibidache's sudden death in 1996, James Levine took over as chief conductor of the orchestra. Christian Thielemann became the orchestra's music director in September 2004. In March 2010, Lorin Maazel was named the orchestra's next chief conductor. Valery Gergiev became principal conductor in 2015
Known For & Full Filmography19 Titles
Movie - 2021, 2h 15m • as Orchester
Be there for a live musical gathering at Munich’s Odeonsplatz in the company of two of the classical stage’s brightest lights! Maestro Lorenzo Viotti, at the helm of the Munich Philharmonic, and virtuoso pianist Yuja Wang invite us to join them at the world-famous open-air venue, beginning the festivities with an electrifying rendition of Rachmaninov's poignant Piano Concerto No. 2. The ensemble then unveils a Spanish-inflected program: Rimsky-Korsakov's Capriccio Espagnol leads into Chabrier's España, a "rhapsody for orchestra," before Ravel's perennially beloved Boléro, an undisputed masterpiece of orchestration, ends the concert with flair. Live Concert, performed and aired Friday, July 9, 2021.
Movie - 2022, 2h 15m • as Orchester
An outstanding performance featuring brilliant storytelling, high stakes drama, and unforgettable character arcs.
Movie - 2011, 2h 15m • as Orchestra
An outstanding performance featuring brilliant storytelling, high stakes drama, and unforgettable character arcs.
Movie - 2024, 2h 15m • as Orchester
An outstanding performance featuring brilliant storytelling, high stakes drama, and unforgettable character arcs.
Movie - 2024, 2h 15m • as Orchester
An outstanding performance featuring brilliant storytelling, high stakes drama, and unforgettable character arcs.
Movie - 2012, 2h 15m • as Orchestra
An outstanding performance featuring brilliant storytelling, high stakes drama, and unforgettable character arcs.
Movie - 2012, 2h 15m • as Orchestra
An outstanding performance featuring brilliant storytelling, high stakes drama, and unforgettable character arcs.
Movie - 2011, 2h 15m • as Orchestra
An outstanding performance featuring brilliant storytelling, high stakes drama, and unforgettable character arcs.
Movie - 2012, 2h 15m • as Orchestra
An outstanding performance featuring brilliant storytelling, high stakes drama, and unforgettable character arcs.
Movie - 2008, 2h 15m • as Orchestra
The incomparable Sergiu Celibidache leads the Munich Philharmonic through works by Maurice Ravel and Claude Debussy in this rare recorded performance from 1994. Celibidache's intense passion infuses selections including Ravel's "Alborada del Gracioso," "Rhapsodie Espagnole" and "Bolero," as well as Debussy's "Prélude à 'l'Après-midi d'un Faune" and "Images: No. 2. Iberia."
Movie - 2018, 2h 15m • as Orchestra
An outstanding performance featuring brilliant storytelling, high stakes drama, and unforgettable character arcs.
Movie - 2017, 2h 15m • as Orchester
The concert on Saturday, July 15, 2017, was opened by the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Manfred Honeck. In the first part of the concert, percussionist Martin Grubinger delighted the audience with highlights from his Parade concertos by Tan Dun and Bruno Hartl, among others. In the second part, a concert waltz by Carl Michael Ziehrer was played, as well as his own fantasy based on themes from Antonín Dvořák's fairytale opera "Rusalka" with the popular "Song to the Moon", and the evening ended with a variety suite by Dmitri Shostakovich. On July 16, 2017, the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra took to the stage in the Feldherrnhalle. The chief conductor was Valery Gergiev. Chinese pianist Yuja Wang played one of her absolute favorite concertos: the Piano Concerto No. 1 by Johannes Brahms. And the Russian maestro also contributed Modest Mussorgsky's "Pictures at an Exhibition" in the bombastic orchestral version by Maurice Ravel.
Movie - 1986, 2h 15m • as Orchestra
An outstanding performance featuring brilliant storytelling, high stakes drama, and unforgettable character arcs.
Movie - 2016, 2h 15m • as Orchester
An outstanding performance featuring brilliant storytelling, high stakes drama, and unforgettable character arcs.
Movie - 2025, 2h 15m • as Orchester
An outstanding performance featuring brilliant storytelling, high stakes drama, and unforgettable character arcs.
Movie - 2020, 2h 15m • as Orchestra
Barcelona’s Palau de la Música Catalana, one of the world’s most beautiful concert halls, hosted Gustavo Dudamel and the Münchner Philharmoniker with an unforgettable performance of Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 “The Resurrection”. The composer emphasizes life and death in all its terrible and stunning splendour in this overwhelming opus: “There is nothing except the complete substance of my whole life”, he remarked on his all-embracing oeuvre. Gustavo Dudamel, who said it was “a privilege to conduct this work in this unique venue”, and his ensemble were celebrated with more than ten minutes of applause.
Movie - 2013, 2h 15m • as Orchestra
An outstanding performance featuring brilliant storytelling, high stakes drama, and unforgettable character arcs.
Movie - 2023, 2h 15m • as Orchester
An outstanding performance featuring brilliant storytelling, high stakes drama, and unforgettable character arcs.
Movie - 2018, 2h 15m • as Orchester
An outstanding performance featuring brilliant storytelling, high stakes drama, and unforgettable character arcs.