The Orchestra Academy of the Bavarian State Orchestra was founded in 2002. It was established for the purpose of passing along the centuries-old tradition of one of Germany’s oldest orchestras and thus keep alive the special sound as well as the performance culture of this unique ensemble.
The goal of the Academy is the acquisition of practical orchestral experience under professional conditions with its special requirements concerning opera as well as the symphonic area. This way, our academy students have the opportunity to become acquainted with the working methods and the extraordinarily extensive repertoire of one of the world’s leading opera orchestras.


“The Bavarian State Orchestra has a tradition which goes back more than 450 years and this is something very special, not only for our audiences but also for those of us who work at this institution. This multi-facetted cultural experience is passed on to future generations of young musicians by means of our orchestra academy, which also allows us to keep an eye on our musical future at the same time.

I wish the academicians every success and hope their work with the Bavarian State Orchestra will prove to be mutually inspiring."

Kent Nagano
Bavarian General Music Director



The Orchestra Academy is supported by
Dr. Helmut Röschinger, Susanne Wamsler

The Academy is geared toward highly gifted music students up to the age of 26, who have already completed their higher education or can provide proof of a comparably high level of training. Consequently the Orchestra Academy sees itself as an enhancement and logical continuation of the studies at a conservatory. After successful passing their audition, academy students are accepted with a stipend of 800 euros a month for a two-year period in the Orchestra Academy. Ther they recceive further instruction from one of the first-chair players of the orchestra, while concurrently being additionally monitored by a tutor from their own instrument section who will function as a direct contact person.

In the few years of its existence, the work of the Orchestra Academy of the Bavarian State Orchestra has already shown some remarkable successes: virtually all of our students have received steady positions in major orchestras. One special source of pride, however, is that we have been able to engage three of them for posts in our own orchestra.