An Important Part of
Practical-Based Education

Cologne Campus

• As a means to explore one’s own personality within society on a socio-cultural level, orchestra performances are now more important than ever
• Orchestras are more than a reflection of the society we live in – ideally, they are the utopia every society strives for
• In a society based increasingly on the individual and self-interest where communication has become a big problem, orchestra performances have taken on a crucial role.

The Symphony Orchestra of the Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln works over six different phases each year and presents the fruits of their labor at public concerts. Prof. Michael Luig is the Artistic Director of the orchestra, but students who study conducting are also involved in directing the orchestra. In order to provide broad educational experience of orchestra performance, the University Orchestra regularly accompanies stage performances at the opera school and performs at oratory and solo concerts.

Summer Semester:

Symphony concert – contemporary music concert

Winter Semester:

• 2 symphony concerts
• 1 opera performance
• 1 choir concert

Aachen Campus

For many years, the focus of the Aachen campus orchestra has been musical theatre. Its close proximity to the Theater Aachen has created a highly effective partnership for both institutions, one that produces joint opera productions performed annually at the theater.

Over the years, this partnership has enabled the orchestra to perform musical theatre pieces from five different centuries (Cavalieri, Purcell, Hayden, Johann Strauss, Stravinsky), most of which were listed on Theater Aachen’s official performance schedule.

Naturally, the Aachen campus orchestra also performs at other venues, such as symphony concerts that regularly take place at Eurogress Aachen or at the auditorium of the Rheinsich-Westfälische Technisiche Hochschule in Aachen. The orchestra also travels to many different German, Belgian, and Dutch cities in the Meuse-Rhine Euroregion to perform encore presentations of its programs.

In addition, the Aachen campus choir and orchestra perform in one of Aachen’s large churches once a year. The annual event has been organized for years in collaboration with the “Ars Cantandi” choir from the city’s institution of higher education for music.

Prof. Herbert Görtz is the Artistic Director for the orchestra’s opera productions and the symphony concerts, and students from his conducting course participate in his work with the orchestra, especially for opera productions.