The Mahler Chamber Orchestra (MCO)’s residence in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) started on 16 May 2009, with a highly successful concert version of Weber’s Der Freischütz under the baton of Thomas Hengelbrock. The concert halls in Dortmund, Essen and Cologne will be the venues of the residence, which is sponsored by the Arts Foundation NRW and the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Together with the concert halls and the Orchesterzentrum|NRW in Dortmund, the MCO is planning top-notch operas and concerts and professional training programmes for the next years.
The coming years will see the MCO returning often to the region to work with its Conductor Laureate Daniel Harding and other renowned conductors and soloists such as Pierre Boulez, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Waltraud Meier and Janine Jansen. During these stays, the orchestra will rehearse and perform symphonic programmes, operas and chamber music concerts. International concert tours will follow the performances in NRW; in this way, the MCO will play an important role as cultural ambassador of the NRW art scene, and will represent the brand MCO Residence NRW throughout the world.
The MCO’s plans are not limited to concerts and operas, but also include an extensive education programme. This will be realised primarily through cooperation with the Orchesterzentrum|NRW in Dortmund. The activities will include individual workshops for music students held by MCO musicians and joint concerts with the students. Especially talented young players will have the opportunity to take part in MCO projects outside of the NRW residence.
Additional outreach projects alongside this cooperation with the Orchesterzentrum include open rehearsals and behind-the-scenes tours.
