The Gürzenich Orchestra, firmly rooted in Cologne but open to the world, stands for pioneering interpretations, innovative programs and diverse offerings beyond the concert hall. We are one of Germany's leading orchestras in both concert and opera - and have a tradition that has made music history like no other.
The orchestra was founded in 1827 by the Concert-Gesellschaft Köln, but its history can be traced back to medieval music-making in Cologne. We have been the orchestra of the city of Cologne since 1888 and delight more than 100,000 visitors in around 50 concerts per season in the Cologne Philharmonie. We also perform as the Cologne Opera Orchestra in around 160
performances every season.
We look back with pride on our great past: outstanding works of the Romantic repertoire by Johannes Brahms, Richard Strauss and Gustav Mahler were premiered with the Gürzenich Orchestra. Today, this legacy is an incentive for us and our conductors to build bridges to the music of the present day: here, too, we can point to an impressive list of important world premieres.
Around 150 top international musicians put their heart and soul into making us what we are: an orchestra at the highest level and with unlimited expressive possibilities. But we also leave the classical concert hall full of joy and without fear of contact in order to inspire people creatively in the midst of society. With performances in retirement homes
and kindergartens, workshops, school concerts and offers such as the family ticket, we inspire a wide variety of target groups for music. Initiatives such as the Cologne Citizens' Orchestra and the Cologne Citizens' Choir invite people to actively participate. Of course, we are also active in the digital space with our GO Plus live streams, podcasts and videos. Multiple award-winning CDs and the complete recording of all Bruckner symphonies, which is currently being released bit by bit, allow the world to experience our uniqueness as cultural ambassadors of the city of Cologne.
Since the 2023/24 season, we have been one of the three resident orchestras of the Concertgebouw Brugge alongside the London Philharmonic Orchestra and Rotterdams Philharmonisch Orkest.

Photo: Holger Talinski

"Without music, the world would be a mistake" said Friedrich Nietzsche. How right he was! The sponsors of the Cologne University of Music and Dance also identify with this motto. They strive to bring this outstanding cultural institution closer to as many interested citizens as possible, to develop a love of music and to make it an experience for others and for themselves.
The Cologne University of Music is one of the most traditional and renowned music academies in Europe. It offers an outstanding education in the full breadth of all artistic, musicological and music education disciplines and instrumental genres, as well as contemporary dance. It is a unique institution that brings together lecturers and students from all over the world and from different cultures. To be involved at this interface of artistic development and creative performance is not only a great need and fulfillment for us, but also a great honor:

• We support young talents with scholarships and follow their development.
• We finance internal and external competitions at the university.
• We finance projects with an outstanding impact on the cultural scene in Cologne, such as opera productions, dance productions and the May Concerts in the Ursuline Church.

We support the European Academy for Music and Performing Arts, "Palazzo Ricci", and promote the Pre-College Cologne, the talent factory for highly gifted children and young people. We organize and finance the chamber music series "Spitzentöne", in which internationally renowned artists perform who benefit from their training at Cologne University. We finance a truck for the transportation of instruments and performance equipment.

We are therefore a committed partner of the university, who also wants to strengthen the reputation and public awareness of this institution. Not only do we provide funds, but we also volunteer our time and expertise. Last but not least, we organize exclusive events for our members. And we enjoy the varied concerts and stimulating lectures at the university every day.