Bambergerâ¯Symphoniker, founded in 1946 in Bamberg, Bavaria, Germany, was a German orchestra that specialized in classical repertoire. It was founded by former members of the German Philharmonic Orchestra of Prague and other displaced musicians after World War II. Because of its Prague roots, the orchestra has maintained a particularly strong affinity with Czech music, especially the works of DvoÅák, Smetana, JanáÄek, and Martinů. The ensemble began performing in local concert halls in the late 1940s and attracted attention for its interpretations of Romantic and early 20thâcentury works. Since 2004 it has held the title of Bavarian State Philharmonic Orchestra (Bayerische Staatsphilharmonie). The orchestra received awards from the Bavarian Music Association in 2002 and 2010 and a 2018 recognition by the German Broadcasting Union for outstanding concert recordings. Over the decades, the orchestra has become one of Germany's leading symphonic ensembles, touring extensively throughout Europe, Asia, and the Americas and building a distinguished discography spanning Austro-German, Czech, and contemporary repertoire. Its chief conductors have included Joseph Keilberth (1949-1968), Eugen Jochum (1968-1973), James Loughran (1979-1983), Witold Rowicki (1983-1985), Horst Stein (1985-1996), Jonathan Nott (2000-2016), and Jakub Hrůša (since 2016). Guest conductors have included Herbert Blomstedt, Mariss Jansons, Sir Georg Solti, Christoph Eschenbach, Andris Nelsons, and Manfred Honeck.
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