Staatskapelle Dresden

The Staatskapelle’s home is the Semperoper, where it performs around 250 operas and ballets each season, as well as presenting another 50 symphonic and chamber concerts in the opera house. Additionally, the orchestra regularly performs at various musical events in Dresden, and travels abroad to the world’s leading classical venues as one of the most celebrated and popular symphony orchestras. For ten years, from 2013 to 2022, the Staatskapelle was the resident orchestra of the Salzburg Easter Festival.

Throughout its long history, the Staatskapelle has been closely associated with many famous composers, including Richard Strauss, whose nine operas were premiered in Dresden, and whose “Alpine Symphony” was dedicated to the orchestra. Countless other famous composers have written works either dedicated to the orchestra or first performed in Dresden. In 2007, the Staatskapelle introduced the annual position of Composer-in-Residence, which has been held by notable composers such as Sofia Gubaidulina, Wolfgang Rihm, and Matthias Pintscher. Georg Friedrich Haas holds this title for the 2023/2024 season.

The Staatskapelle supports the nurturing of young talent as the partner orchestra of the Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra. Additionally, the orchestra is active at the local level, serving as a partner of Meetingpoint Memory Messiaen in the double city of Görlitz-Zgorzelec and helping to found the International Shostakovich Festival in Gohrisch, which is the first annual event dedicated to the music and life of the composer Dmitri Shostakovich.

In recognition of its efforts, the Staatskapelle became the first – and so far only – orchestra to be awarded the “European Prize for the Preservation of the World’s Musical Heritage” in 2007. Most recently, during the 2022 Salzburg Easter Festival, the Staatskapelle was awarded the Herbert-von-Karajan-Prize.

The Staatskapelle Dresden is a world-renowned orchestra with a rich history and tradition, celebrated for its exceptional performances, collaborations with famous composers, and dedication to nurturing young talent. With its diverse repertoire, the orchestra has won the hearts of audiences around the world and continues to be a leading force in the classical music scene.
If you want to know more, visit their website or follow the orchestra on their Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.