Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin
Leading position
For more than a hundred years, the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra has been “on the air” and performing live in concert halls. Founded as one of the oldest symphony orchestras for radio broadcasting in Europe, its history dates back to the birth of public broadcasting in Germany on October 29, 1923. Since that day, radio pioneers such as Otto Urack, Bruno Seidler-Winkler, Kurt Weill, and Paul Hindemith, as well as principal conductors such as Eugen Jochum, Sergiu Celibidache, Hermann Abendroth, Rolf Kleinert, Heinz Rögner, and Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, have shaped an ensemble that has experienced the highs and lows of 20th-century German history “up close” like hardly any other German orchestra.
In the 21st century, Marek Janowski (2001–2016) was succeeded in 2017 by Vladimir Jurowski, who currently plays a decisive role in shaping the profile of the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra as its principal conductor and artistic director. Under his leadership, the RSB has cemented its standing among the top ensembles in Berlin’s orchestral scene and the German radio landscape.
Jörg Widmann is the Artist in Residence for the 26/27 season. The internationally renowned composer, clarinetist, and conductor, who has been associated with the RSB for many years, will appear in a variety of roles: in two symphony concerts (featuring works by Mendelssohn Bartholdy, Rachmaninoff, and his own compositions), a chamber concert (featuring works by Mozart and his own compositions), and a master class for music students.
Partners of interest
Renowned guest conductors who are now among the world’s leading figures made their respective Berlin debuts with the RSB: Andris Nelsons, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Vasily Petrenko, Jakub Hrůša, Alain Altinoglu, Omer Meir Wellber, Lahav Shani, Karina Canellakis (the RSB’s first female guest conductor from 2019 to 2023). Promising collaborations have begun in recent years with Tarmo Peltokoski, Petr Popelka, Ruth Reinhardt, Edward Gardner, Nicholas Carter, and others. In the 2026/2027 season, 21st-century music will be prominently featured in all its stylistic and cultural diversity. A special focus is placed on works by contemporary female composers, including Sara Abazari, Unsuk Chin, Anna Clyne, Kathrin A. Denner, Hannah Eisendle, Georgia Koumará, Camille Pépin, Kaija Saariaho, Outi Tarkiainen, and Anna Thorvaldsdóttir. The program is complemented by composers such as Thomas Adès, Steven Banks, Tan Dun, Samy Moussa, and Max Richter, as well as artists such as Brandt Brauer Frick, Rob Laidlow, and Andile Khumalo
Repertoire Expertise
From the very beginning, renowned composers of the 20th and 21st centuries have taken the podium of the Berlin Radio Orchestra or performed their own works as soloists: Paul Hindemith, Arthur Honegger, Darius Milhaud, Hans Pfitzner, Sergei Prokofiev, Richard Strauss, Arnold Schoenberg, Igor Stravinsky, Vladimir Vogel, Kurt Weill, and Alexander Zemlinsky, as well as, more recently, Krzysztof Penderecki, Berthold Goldschmidt, Peter Maxwell Davies, Friedrich Goldmann, Peter Ruzicka, Daniel Schnyder, Siegfried Matthus, Heinz Holliger, Brett Dean, and Marko Nikodijević.
In total, the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra will give 25 symphony concerts at the Berlin Philharmonie and the Konzerthaus Berlin during the new season. In addition, the Großer Sendesaal at the Haus des Rundfunks will host three concerts in the “Jazzik” series, two “story concerts,” three family concerts, three school concerts, five guided rehearsals, and—new and not yet listed in the season brochure—three “Concerts for Everyone.” At the KinderKünsteZentrum Berlin and the Exploratorium Berlin, 24 performances will take place as part of the “Rapauke” series for preschoolers. The RSB invites audiences to six chamber concerts at the Kühlhaus Berlin, the Theater im Delphi, the Ballhaus Wedding, and the Kulturquartier silent green, curated and performed by members of the orchestra. In addition, six micro-concerts will be held at the Humboldt Forum, and four concert broadcasts will take place at the Zeiss Großplanetarium.
Nearly all of the RSB’s symphony concerts are recorded for radio and broadcast worldwide on Deutschlandfunk and rbb Radio, as well as through the European Broadcasting Union. In 2025, there were 86 concert broadcasts in 26 countries. In addition, the RSB produces numerous studio recordings, often featuring valuable repertoire rarities. Recent releases include, among others, Symphonies Nos. 3 and 4 by Paul Büttner, the Piano Concerto, Op. 2, and the Symphony, Op. 4, by Leokadiya Kashperova, Engelbert Humperdinck’s music for the stage work “Das Mirakel” as well as Emil von Sauer’s Piano Concerto No. 1 and Conrad Ansorge’s Piano Concerto, Op. 28 (all released by Capriccio).
The RSB performs live both nationally and internationally. For more than 50 years, it has made regular guest appearances at German and European festivals, in the Far East, and in music centers worldwide. Eleven guest performances will take the orchestra to Munich, Vienna, Innsbruck, Hamburg, and the Varna International Music Festival in Bulgaria, among other destinations, during the upcoming season.
