The Munich Philharmonic was founded in 1893 through the private initiative of Franz Kaim, the son of a piano manufacturer. Since then, the orchestra has left an indelible imprint on Munich’s cultural life under the leadership of renowned conductors. In the orchestra’s earliest years – initially under the name “Kaim Orchestra” – conductors like Hans Winderstein, Hermann Zumpe, Felix Weingartner and the Bruckner pupil Ferdinand Löwe guaranteed both a high technical standard of performance and enthusiastic support of contemporary artistry. Gustav Mahler directed the orchestra in 1901 and 1910 at the respective world premieres of his Fourth and Eighth Symphonies. In November of 1911, the orchestra, then called the “Konzertverein Orchestra” performed the world premiere of Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde (The Song of the Earth) under Bruno Walter’s direction – only six months after the composer’s death in Vienna. Ferdinand Löwe conducted the first large-scale Bruckner concerts and thereby founded the orchestra’s Bruckner tradition, which has continued unbroken to the present day.
In February 2023, the Munich Philharmonic appointed Lahav Shani as its Chief Conductor. Even before taking up his post officially in September 2026, he conducts the orchestra both in Munich and on tour. In the 2025/2026 season, Shani and the Munich Philharmonic went on a European tour to Lucerne, Frankfurt, Berlin, Paris, Luxembourg and Vienna. In April 2026, the orchestra and Shani began a 3-year residency at the Festival de Pâques in Aix-en-Provence. In addition to that, the Munich Philharmonic and Lahav Shani went on their first tour to Japan, Taiwan and Korea under his direction in spring 2026.
PROGRAM
Prokofiev: Symphony No. 1
Shostakovich: Piano Concerto No. 2
Bruckner: Symphony No. 4
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