The Gürzenich-Orchester Köln is currently one of the leading orchestras in Germany for concerts and operatic performances. As one of the two resident orchestras of the Cologne Philharmonie, it welcomes more than 100,000 concert visitors to approximately fifty concerts each season. François-Xavier Roth has been Chief Conductor since the 2015/2016 season. The roots of the Gürzenich-Orchester Köln, which currently has some 130 musicians, go back to the medieval Ratsmusiken town bands and the first permanent ensembles of Cologne Cathedral. From 1857, the orchestra gave concerts in the Gürzenich Hall, whose name it still bears today. In its long history, it has always attracted the leading composers and interpreters of its time; important works from the Romantic repertoire of Johannes Brahms, Richard Strauss and Gustav Mahler celebrated their première with the Gürzenich-Orchester. Present-day composers also contribute to the orchestra’s pulling power – new works from Georg Friedrich Haas, Márton Illés, Malika Kishino, and Ayanna Witter-Johnson appear in the 2020/21 season. The orchestra has been shaped by its conductor laureates, Günter Wand and Dmitrij Kitajenko, and since 1986 by its chief conductors Marek Janowski, James Conlon, Markus Stenz and now François- Xavier Roth. The digital streaming platform service GO PLUS broadcasts high-quality live concert recordings from the Gürzenich- Orchester all over the world. Learn more about the orchestra at www.guerzenich-orchester.de