Philharmonie Festiva is a symphony orchestra consisting of selected, high-calibre musicians from leading German orchestras, which was brought into being by its conductor Gerd Schaller in 2008 and caused a sensation internationally, especially through its Bruckner recordings.


Schaller’s intention was to create an orchestra for the long term that could do justice to his own ambitious projects — an unashamedly elite ensemble. Right from the start, the challenge and the stimulus to conductor and musicians alike was to develop an own, common sound: a tricky business, given that the instrumentalists were bound to bring their own consciousness and concepts of sound from their various home orchestras, but at the same time an intriguing enterprise, because the Philharmonie Festiva has no set way of doing things, no routine, but is always open to new experiences and experiments. That means the musicians have the feeling of creating something new and mutually beneficial together.