In the Studio
What does the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin actually do for radio directly? During the 2009/2010 season, there are 34 studio days on the agenda. That amounts to nearly seven weeks of the orchestra’s annual work schedule or as much as an entire subscription series! In ten recording projects with the conductors Marek Janowski, Kristjan Järvie, Ilan Volkov, Horia Andreescu, Peter Hirsch, Matthias Foremny and others, the orchestra will take on works of composers such as Hans Werner Henze, Johannes Brahms, Richard Strauss, Oskar Fried, Luigi Dallapiccola, Arvo Pärt, Wilhelm Berger and Ivan Wyschnegradsky. Most of the recordings for radio are produced by Deutschlandradio and the RSB in cooperation with selected labels and are also released on CD. Year after year, new CD releases are honored with distinguished recording awards. From the series of the complete symphonic works of Hans Werner Henze with Marek Janowski, Nos. 7 and 8 appeared in 2008, No. 9 is in preparation and Nos. 5 and 6 are planned for the 2009/2010 season.
On the Airwaves
Thanks to the RSB’s close cooperation with Deutschlandradio Kultur and with rbb Kulturradio (Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg), it is possible to hear most of the orchestra’s concerts on the radio in Berlin, Brandenburg and throughout Germany. In the context of the Association of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) music exchange, some concerts are also broadcast world-wide. Information on which concerts are to be recorded for radio can be found in the Concert Calendar. Broadcasting times and frequencies are generally announced in the concert program brochure.
Partnership
German radio and Germany’s first radio orchestra, the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin, have been working hand-in-hand since 1923. The Rundfunksinfonie-Orchester Berlin has been a member of the Rundfunk-Orchester und –Chöre GmbH Berlin (roc berlin) since 1994. With a 40% interest, Deutschlandradio is the largest roc berlin partner. The Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg (rbb) holds 5%, the Federal Republic of Germany 35% and the State of Berlin 20%.
Ultraschall
The Ultraschall festival for contemporary music in Berlin is presented by Deutschlandradio Kultur together with rbb Kulturradio. The festival has become a mainstay of Germany’s festival landscape. Ultraschall concerts are in high demand by audiences, and radio has taken its cue. The RSB has been a participant since the very beginning, and in 2010, the orchestra will play the festival’s opening concert with conductor Johannes Kalitzke.
