Abaco Orchestra

The Abaco Orchestra (Abaco-Orchester) is an amateur symphony orchestra based in Munich, Germany, founded in 1988 by three students at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München. The ensemble brings together over 100 dedicated instrumentalists—students from various disciplines and young professionals—who rehearse weekly and perform one concert program per semester in Munich and the surrounding area. The orchestra is named after the Italian composer and cellist Evaristo Felice Dall'Abaco, who served at the court of Bavarian Elector Max II Emanuel in Munich from 1715 to 1740. A defining feature of the Abaco Orchestra is its democratic structure: all members share responsibility for major decisions, including the selection of repertoire and conductors. The orchestra is professionally led and supported in sectional rehearsals by instructors, many of whom are members of leading Munich orchestras such as the Munich Philharmonic, the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, and the Bavarian State Orchestra. The orchestra's repertoire spans demanding symphonic works, including Beethoven's Symphonies Nos. 4, 5, and 7, Schubert's Unfinished, Mendelssohn's A Midsummer Night's Dream, Dvořák's Symphony No. 9, Brahms's Symphonies Nos. 1 and 3, Tchaikovsky's Pathétique, Shostakovich's Symphonies Nos. 5 and 7, Elgar's Enigma Variations, and Britten's Four Sea Interludes. Performances have taken place at venues such as the Herkulessaal, the Philharmonie am Gasteig, the Himmelfahrtskirche, the LMU auditorium, and the Musikhochschule in Munich. The orchestra has toured to Paris, Amsterdam, Ankara, Berlin, and, as a highlight in 2017, the Golden Hall of the Vienna Musikverein. It has also been invited four times to the international MúsicaMallorca festival in Palma and has participated multiple times in the FIMU festival in Belfort, France. The Abaco Orchestra remains an active cultural entity in Munich, continuing its tradition of ambitious amateur music-making under professional guidance.

The Abaco Orchestra was founded in 1988 in Munich by three students at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München who wanted to create an opportunity to play classical music with commitment. The orchestra is named after the Italian composer Evaristo Dall'Abaco (1675–1742), who lived and worked in Munich for most of his life. Initially a pure string orchestra under its first conductor and co-founder Thomas Mandl, a student of Sergiu Celibidache, it grew into a full symphony orchestra by 1991. The repertoire expanded continuously, and from 2011 the orchestra performed three to four programs per year, including demanding works such as Beethoven's Symphonies Nos. 4, 5, and 7, Schubert's Unfinished, Mendelssohn's A Midsummer Night's Dream, Dvořák's Symphony No. 9, Brahms's Symphonies Nos. 1 and 3, Tchaikovsky's Pathétique, Shostakovich's Symphonies Nos. 5 and 7, Elgar's Enigma Variations, and Britten's Four Sea Interludes. The orchestra has performed in venues including the Munich Philharmonie am Gasteig, the Herkulessaal, the Berlin Konzerthaus, and the Golden Hall of the Vienna Musikverein (2017). It has toured to France (Paris), Prague, Lausanne, Fribourg, and Gruyère, and appeared at festivals such as the Starnberger Musiktage and Festival MúsicaMallorca. The orchestra is characterized by its democratic decision-making, with members voting on repertoire and conductors. It consists of up to over 100 students and young professionals, with an average age of about 25. Conductors have included Thomas Mandl (1988–1991), Julian Gibbons (1991–1994), Georgios Vranos (1994–1995), Alexander Liebreich (1995–1997), Alexander Briger (1997–1999), Markus Poschner (1999–2004), Volker Hiemeyer (2004–2005), Olivier Tardy (2005–2008), Ekkehard Hauenstein (2008–2010), Joseph Bastian (2011–2018), Vitali Aleskseenok (2018–2022), Alexander Sinan Binder (2022–2024), and Ina Stoertzenbach (since 2024).

• 2024

  Ina Stoertzenbach became conductor.

• 2017

  Performed in the Golden Hall of the Vienna Musikverein.

• 2011

  Began performing three to four programs per year.

• 1991

  Grew into a full symphony orchestra.

• 1988

  Founded in Munich by three students at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München.

Amateur symphony orchestra with professional standards, democratic organization, and ambitious repertoire.

Product categories. Symphonic concerts · Semester concert programs · International tours

1. 1Abaco-Orchester official websiteabaco-orchester.de
2. 2About us - Abaco-Orchesterabaco-orchester.de
3. 3Instructors - Abaco-Orchesterabaco-orchester.de
4. 4Soloists - Abaco-Orchesterabaco-orchester.de
5. 5Abaco-Orchester - Wikipediade.wikipedia.org
6. 6Abaco Orchestra - Wikidatawikidata.org