Philharmonisches Staatsorchester Hamburg
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The Philharmonic State Orchestra is the orchestra of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, which performs in around 250 opera and ballet performances each year at the Hamburg State Opera. At the same time, it organizes high-class philharmonic concerts at the Elbphilharmonie. In addition, the 140 musicians can also be heard in smaller chamber music ensembles. In recent years, the orchestra has toured South America, Tokyo, and, in 2023, Carnegie Hall. Omer Meir Wellber has been the general music director of the Hamburg State Opera and the Hamburg Philharmonic State Orchestra since 2025. He is known for his fresh ideas, free approach to musical material, and fearless creativity. With this approach and his wealth of musical ideas, he has begun an innovative development of the orchestra. The orchestra's beginnings date back to 1828; subsequently, personalities such as Tchaikovsky, Strauss, Mahler, and Stravinsky stood at the podium. In 1908, the Philharmonic inaugurated the Laeiszhalle with a gala concert.
