Biography
Berliner Symphoniker (Berlin Symphony Orchestra) ia a Symphony orchestra in Berlin, Germany. The orchestra began its performing activity on 1 September 1967 as Symphonisches Orchester Berlin. In 1990 it was renamed Berliner Symphoniker. Its chief conductor since 1997 is Lior Shambadal.
From 1967 to 1990 the orchestra was named Symphonisches Orchester Berlin (SOB). The orchestra originates from the merger of two independent orchestras, the Berliner Symphonisches Orchester (founded in 1949) and the Deutsches Symphonieorchester.
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The Symphonisches Orchester Berlin used to perform some 60 concerts per year in- and outside Berlin. Its first chief conductor was Carl August Bünte until 1973. His successors included Theodore Bloomfield, Daniel Nazareth and Alun Francis.
In 2004, the Berlin Senate withdrew its support of the orchestra, which subsequently entered bankruptcy proceedings. Subsequently, the Berolina Orchester eV association took over management of the orchestra. Since 2019, the current Intendantin (managing director) of the orchestra is Sabine Völker, the first woman to hold the post.
The longest-serving chief conductor of the orchestra was Lior Shambadal, from 1996 to 2019. In April 2021, the orchestra announced the appointment of Hansjörg Schellenberger as its next chief conductor, effective with the 2021-2022 season.
Biography text from Last.fm, available under CC BY-SA.