Scharoun Ensemble
An Ensemble of the Berlin Philharmonic
“…unique understanding and work with equivalent instrumental mastery.”
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Formed in 1983 by members of the Berliner Philharmoniker, the Scharoun Ensemble is an extension of one of the world’s most revered orchestras. With a core octet lineup of clarinet, bassoon, horn, two violins, viola, cello, and double bass, the ensemble brings the precision, depth, and artistry of the Philharmoniker to the chamber music stage while embracing the flexibility and intimacy of small-ensemble performance.
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What began as a group of musicians eager to explore Schubert’s Octet has grown into one of Germany’s leading chamber ensembles, blending tradition and innovation for over four decades. With a reputation for artistic excellence, the Scharoun Ensemble has toured extensively across Europe, Asia, and the Americas, performed at the world’s most prestigious venues, and held long-term residencies at institutions such as the American Academy in Rome and the Penderecki Music Centre in Poland.
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Dedicated to shaping the future of chamber music, the Scharoun Ensemble has premiered major works by some of the most influential composers of the 20th and 21st centuries, including György Ligeti, Hans Werner Henze, Pierre Boulez, Jörg Widmann, and Brett Dean. They have collaborated with iconic conductors such as Claudio Abbado, Sir Simon Rattle, and Daniel Barenboim, as well as world-renowned vocalists like Barbara Hannigan and Christian Gerhaher, continuously pushing the boundaries of chamber music programming and interpretation.
Founded in 1983 by members of the Berliner Philharmoniker, the Scharoun Ensemble is one of Germany's most distinguished chamber music ensembles. With a broad repertoire ranging from selected Baroque compositions to chamber music works from the Classical and Romantic periods to contemporary music, the Scharoun Ensemble has been delighting audiences in Europe and overseas for over forty years. Innovative programming, sophisticated sound culture and lively interpretations are the ensemble's trademarks.
The classical octet line-up (clarinet, bassoon, horn, two violins, viola, violoncello and double bass) forms the core of the Scharoun Ensemble. With the exception of Wolfram Brandl and Claudio Bohórquez, all musicians are members of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra.
In numerous programmes, the regular cast is supplemented by guests from the ranks of the Berliner Philharmoniker. In the course of its history, the Ensemble has also had the opportunity to work with renowned conductors. The Scharoun Ensemble has rehearsed and performed various programmes under the direction of Claudio Abbado, Sir Simon Rattle, Daniel Barenboim, Daniel Harding and Pierre Boulez. It has also frequently performed with singers such as Barbara Hannigan, Christiane Karg, Christian Gerhaer, Simon Keenlyside and Andrew Staples.
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The Scharoun Ensemble's artistic focus is on mediating between tradition and modernity. It has premiered numerous compositions from the 20th and 21st centuries, but is equally passionate about interpreting works from past centuries. The cornerstones of the repertoire include Franz Schubert's Octet D 803, with which the ensemble first introduced itself to the public in 1983, and Ludwig van Beethoven's Septet Op. 20.
Since its foundation, the Scharoun Ensemble has been particularly interested in exchanging ideas with contemporary composers. György Ligeti, Hans Werner Henze, Pierre Boulez, György Kurtág and Wolfgang Rihm have accompanied the ensemble on its artistic journey, as have composers of the younger generation, including Jörg Widmann, Matthias Pintscher, David Philip Hefti and Mark André.
In addition to a busy international concert schedule, the musicians of the Scharoun Ensemble are also involved as lecturers at various international chamber music academies, including the Zermatt Music Festival, which they founded and artistically organised in 2005. In addition to high-calibre concerts, musical workshops are held here every summer, offering young musicians the opportunity to work with the members of the Scharoun Ensemble.
The Scharoun Ensemble owes its name to the architect of its parent building: Hans Scharoun (1893-1972) created a concert hall that is unique in the world with the Berlin Philharmonie, which dares to synthesise innovation and an awareness of tradition and opens up new ways of artistic communication - ideals to which the Scharoun Ensemble is also committed.
March 2025 – Please do not edit without permission.
Videos
Programs & Repertoire
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PROGRAM
First half of program is currently TBD
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Franz Schubert: Octet in F major, D. 803
Backstage Story
The Courageous Ones
Forty Years of the Scharoun Ensemble
Forty years ago two groups of committed chamber musicians who were all members of the Berliner Philharmoniker formed an ensemble with the aim of performing Schubert’s Octet. So far, so good. What began as a bold experiment has developed over the intervening years into a major success story. Over the course of the last four decades, the Scharoun Ensemble – named after the architect of the Berlin Philharmonie – has become one of the leading chamber ensembles in Germany, its unusual forces opening up more and more new worlds of sound. From the outset its members have been able to forge a link between tradition and modernism while working with some of the world’s most distinguished conductors and composers. The ensemble’s fortieth anniversary is an opportunity to review its past.