About
The Hamburger Camerata is a chamber orchestra based in Hamburg.
History and program
The Hamburger Camerata was founded in 1986. It emerged from the church music orchestra of the main church St. Nikolai am Klosterstern, founded in 1980 by KMD Ekkehart Richter. Artistic director was Max Pommer from 2001 to 2011. With the concert series that has existed since 1990 (six concerts a year) in the Laeiszhalle Hamburg, the orchestra, under the direction of Max Pommer, Claus Bantzer and Ralf Gothóni, created its place in the Hamburg music scene. A program of chamber music symphonies and symphonic chamber music as well as a commitment to modern music are characteristic of these concerts.
Simon Gaudenz has been chief conductor of the Hamburger Camerata since the 2012/13 season. In 2009 he won the German Conductor Award, the most valuable award for conductors in Europe. The Hamburger Camerata took part in numerous music festivals, such as the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, the Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Festival, the MDR Music Summer, the Weimarer Klassik Festival and the Usedom Music Festival. The orchestra also made guest appearances on concert tours a. a. in Switzerland, Spain, France, Poland and Finland. In addition to the concert series in the Laeiszhalle Hamburg, the orchestra plays around 50 other concerts in Germany every year. Since 2005 the Japanese-German friendship concert "East Meets West" at Gut Haseldorf has been one of them.
Educational offer
The Hamburger Camerata gives young listeners access to classical music with various projects: In addition to the family concerts in the Laeiszhalle, the chamber orchestra has been offering the Elbwichtel concerts for three to six year old children in the New Living Home Hamburg-Lokstedt with twelve concerts per season since 2009 on. The orchestra's educational program also includes concerts for and visits to day-care centers and schools, sponsorships for day-care centers and primary schools, orchestral experience rehearsals, workshops for educators at day-care centers and primary schools and concepts such as B. Every child an instrument for socially disadvantaged children.
Structure
The Hamburger Camerata is financed almost exclusively from entrance fees, donations and sponsorship money. Since 2013 it has been supported by the Hanseatic city's culture and tourism tax. The Hamburger Camerata has the legal form of a gGmbH. The main shareholder is the Hamburger Camerata Kammerorchester e.V., whose members form the core group of the orchestra under the leadership of concertmaster Gustav Frielinghaus. Annette Friedrich is the managing director of the Hamburger Camerata. The Friends of Hamburger Camerata e.V. and the Board of Trustees, chaired by Rolf Seelmann-Eggebert, support the artistic work of the chamber orchestra.