Aachen hits all the right notes - aachen-emotion.com

The Aachen Symphony OrchestraAachen hits all the right notes

“You’d swear you can taste the ocean spray: it’s this kind of vitality that Marcus R. Bosch uses to unleash the full force of nature using the raw power that is Aachen Symphony Orchestra. One minute a storm is raging – nay, a hurricane, veritably whipping through the pit – and crashing waves that suck the breath from your lungs. The string section plays to complete perfection, with woodwind instruments mastering every trill, no matter how quiet, not to mention a brass section which is truly majestic. Here’s an orchestra and a conductor that simply love Wagner…”

It’s not just music critics that wax lyrical about Aachen Symphony Orchestra under senior musical director and conductor Marcus R. Bosch. Aachen audiences love him too. Since taking on the job, the concertgoers increased four times. The orchestra is now one of the leading ensembles in North-Rhine Westphalia, and Bosch has used an internationally acclaimed touring schedule to win the orchestra extra plaudits well beyond Aachen.

Setting the tone in the opera or symphony concert

“Setting the tone – the best in the west” is how the musicians beat their own drum, with a wink and a smile, and promote their programme – not just opera performances in the theatre or symphony concerts at Eurogress, but also their annual schedule of special-event concerts. Whether in the ballroom of the “Altes Kurhaus”(“Ballroom Baroque”), St. Nikolaus’ church (“Bruckner in St. Nikolaus”), the CHIO equestrian extravaganza in Soers (“Horse & Symphony”), the open-air festival “Kurpark Classix” , the “Gold & Silver” Christmas concert, the New Year’s concert or the “Don’t Dress Up Concert” – every time the orchestra proves once again: Aachen hits all the right notes!

Aachen has a long tradition as a musical city. Its orchestra, first mentioned in 1720, is one of Germany’s oldest. It put up the first-ever performance of Weber’s “Der Freischütz” in Paris and was involved in the first performance of Beethoven’s 9th symphony away from Vienna. Famous guest conductors such as Richard Strauss and Karl Muck once wielded their batons in Aachen, and internationally successful musical directors like Fritz Busch, Herbert von Karajan and Wolfgang Sawallisch began their careers here and influenced the development of the orchestra. In recent years, the Aacheners have played with international stars like Martha Argerich, José Carreras and Andrei Gavrilov.