News

07. November 2024
Orchester des Wandels e.V. 
wins German Sustainability Award 2025!

Orchester des Wandels is the winner of the 17th German Sustainability Award 2025 in the category of culture and media industries! The renowned award for best-practice examples of sustainable transformation was presented on November 28, 2024 as part of the German Sustainability Day in Düsseldorf. On this occasion, "Bachianas Brasileiras No.5" by H. Villa-Lobos with the Brazilian soprano Carla Cottini and a wonderful cello octet with musicians from six OdW member orchestras and our ambassador Armida quartet was performed, musically highlighting our latest sustainability project “Araponga” in the Brazilian rainforest.

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05. October 2024
Orchester des Wandels awarded the Culture4Climate Wirkmächtig Prize 2024!

The award honors and promotes extraordinary commitment by initiatives from the cultural sector in Germany that have developed and implemented innovative, impact-oriented solutions for climate protection in the cultural sector, demonstrating special climate protection potential, a high degree of creativity and innovation as well as a great impulse and broad impact.

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13. July 2024
Visit from Madagascar

In the week from July 8th to 14th, a delegation from the Wildlife Conservation Society Madagascar visited Munich to present the projects supported by Orchester des Wandels and to report on their progress. Chantal MILINA, Sinto AIMÉ and Hasina RABE, who all work as WCS Madagascar project coordinators in the Masoala region, gave comprehensive insight into how successfully and purposefully the conservation projects are being implemented and what challenges need to be overcome.

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23. May 2024
News Report from Madagaskar

Planting, Weeding and Maintenance: 14,610 new trees were planted in the first quarter of 2024. Here is the most recent news from our Madagaskar Project.

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27. April 2024
Musicians of the Würzburg Philharmonic auction house concerts to benefit Orchester des Wandels

Now you can bid and experience the musicians of the Würzburg Philharmonic Orchestra in your living room! The income from the auctioned house concerts supports our reforestation projects in Madagascar and Brazil. Bidding from April 29 - May 9, 2024.

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18. April 2024
ARAPONGA – our Brazil Project with the association Eben!Holz e.V. for the protection of pernambuco wood has begun

Thanks to the great preparation by the Eben!Holz e.V. association, our joint project for the comprehensive protection of the tree that is so important to us musicians is underway. This project was named after the ARAPONGA bird species that is typical of the Mata Atlantica. Its cry is considered to be the loudest bird call in the world. For this reason, this bird is the ideal ambassador to symbolize the urgency of protecting pernambuco.

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08. April 2024
Munich Concert is finalist in the European-Natura-2000 Awards: VOTE NOW!

We are delighted that the WWF concert with the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra has been nominated for the Natura 2000 Award. With the concert "Magic of the Isar" last year, we celebrated the unique wild river landscape of the Upper Isar with music. Along the Upper Isar, one can still see how an alpine river constantly re-forms its bed, how it branches out, accumulates open gravel areas and then overflows again. The only constant in wild river landscapes is change, which creates countless niches for special animal and plant species. We want to preserve and improve this valuable Natura 2000 area, especially the habitat types of the "Alpine rivers".

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01. March 2024
We are 40!

We are happy to announce that we have reached 40 member orchestras! Our newest members include the Münchner Symphoniker, the Bielefelder Philharmoniker and the Württembergische Philharmonie Reutlingen. Welcome!

Unsere Orchester
03. October 2023
Finalist for the German Sustainability Award 2024

We are happy to announce that we are one of three finalists for the German Sustainability Award 2024! Together with the Center for Art and Media Technology Karlsruhe and the Leipzig Zoo, we are in the finale of the “Cultural Industry” category. The prize will be awarded at a television gala on November 23rd in Düsseldorf. Fingers crossed!

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02. October 2023
Success at Theaterfest in Mainz

The musicians of the Philharmonisches Staatsorchester Mainz sold 400 tickets at this year's Theaterfest and inspired many people with the prizes and the idea of the Orchester des Wandels. With 30 sponsors who donated many great prizes, over €1,300 was raised, which will benefit the Masoala National Park in Madagascar. Thank you, Mainz!

to the Musicians
17. August 2023
Stegreif-Symposium for Music, Sustainability and Mediation

It's 2023 and everyone is talking about it: music, sustainability, intervention. With #bechange - 17 Sounds of Sustainability, Stegreif - The Improvising Symphony Orchestra spent two years researching how these fields of work can grow together and contribute to a better future. Now it is time to take stock. On September 17th, 2023, Stegreif invites experts in the fields music, sustainability and mediation to FUTURE MUSIC, an interactive symposium in the Berlin Natural History Museum.

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03. July 2023
A Concert for the Isar

In an effort to to create connection to the Isar through music, the WWF Germany sponsored an evening concert in cooperation with the Munich Philharmonic, Munich based photographers from the Southern Bavaria regional group of the Society for Nature Photography (GDT) and the nature filmmaker Jürgen Eichinger. The musicians selected pieces that personally remind them of the sound of the Isar, the concert accompanied by impressive nature recordings of the water habitat Isar and its inhabitants.

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10. June 2023
STADTRADELN Mainz 2023

The musicians of the Mainz Philharmonic State Orchestra are taking part this year in the project CITY CYCLING (STADTRADLN) Mainz! Between June 5th and 25th they will cycle together for more climate and environmental protection and hope that (not only) Mainz will become more bike-friendly! "We are excited to see how far we can make it in CITY CYCLING 2023 and look forward to your support - you are welcome to join our team and cycle with us."

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08. March 2023
Crowdfunding for Concert in the Field with the Staatsphilharmonie Nürnberg

"A matinée for soil fertility. We are losing fertile soil around the world much faster than it can form. The fatal detail: almost all of our food comes from the soil." With this Concert in the Field the musicians of the Staatsphilharmonie Nürnberg and partners wish to raise awareness to ensure that fertile soil is preserved for future generations. But they need your support- Are you in?

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24. January 2023
Creating a new awareness

A lovely portrait of OdW by Stephan Schwarz-Peters, shared by miz-Fokus "Zukunftsmusik Klimaschutz" (German Music Information Center). "For a long time, culture thought that this topic didn't concern them," says Haider, "but we want to create a new awareness."

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12. December 2022
Concert on the sea floor

On a sunny September day in 2022, Frank Schweikert from the German Marine Foundation set course on the open sea with his research ship Aldebaran. On board: a cello quartet from the Orchester des Wandels, a film team and the Hamburg sound engineer Volker Zeigermann.

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05. December 2022
Welcome, Tanja Tetzlaff!

A warm welcome to Tanja Tetzlaff, one of Germany's most celebrated cellists, as our new musicial ambassador. "To be the new ambassador of the orchestra of change fills me with pride and hope. Through our presence on stage and in the minds of our audiences we have possibilities to arise awareness of the huge and devastating topic of climate change...

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05. October 2022
News from Masoala National Park

New seedlings, job opportunities and youth participation in World Environment Day: new pictures from our Partner WCS show the progress of our project in Andranoanala, Masoala National Park.

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30. May 2022
Welcome, Armida Quartet!

We are pleased to welcome the Armida Quartet as musical ambassadors of OdW. "We, the Armida Quartet, as cultural workers, want to use the resources of our planet as sparingly as possible and make dealing with the climate crisis an important core idea of our cultural message." Glad to have you on board!

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28. April 2022
"The Chocolate Ride" mit OdW

100% organic, 100% fair, 100% emission-free transported, 100% delicious. The cocoa beans (from the Dominican Republic) are transported to Amsterdam via the sailing ship 'Tres Hombres', processed into delicious chocolate in a solar-powered factory in Amsterdam and finally transported by cargo bike to the German concert and opera houses!

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29. March 2022
#statement #ukraine #peace #nowar

When we make music, we experience connection in its purest form. Contrasts and extremes play an essential role, leading us to the all-encompassing whole that we call music. Community is the foundation of our association - through music, we wish to protect the climate and the environment for all the people in the world...

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28. March 2022
Climate-neutral through Spain

The Düsseldorfer Symphoniker are headed out on a concert tour through Spain under their chief conductor Adám Fischer. A special concert beforehand will raise funds to offset the CO2 emissions from the tour. Additionally to keep emissions low, the orchestra will travel between concert cities exclusively by train.

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18. March 2022
OPUS KLASSIK Innovation Prize for Sustainability

The board of OdW has been asked to serve as advisors to the jury for the Opus Klassik 2022 “Innovation Prize for Sustainability”. This newly created category honors a relevant initiative, for example to protect the climate and the environment in the field of classical music. Applications are accepted now through March 31st. We look forward to hearing your wonderful ideas!

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14. January 2022
Welcome, Neue Philharmonie Westfalen!

We welcome the Neue Philharmonie Westfalen as new members of Orchester des Wandels! We are glad to have you! The largest of the 3 North Rhine-Westphalia regional orchestras, the NPW send their greetings with this specially filmed clip.

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24. December 2021
Merry Christmas!

We wish you a Merry Christmas with this fun holiday short video played by musicians from our founding orchestra the Staatskapelle Berlin. With now 31 member orchestras and numerous individual members, we look forward to inspiring climate protection in the New Year!

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13. December 2021
Misaotra anao!

In the Malagasy language we would like to say "thank you" to the SWR Symphony Orchestra for the generous donation of € 5000, which goes directly to support our reforestation project for ebony trees in Madagascar!

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22. October 2021
COP26 - ACT NOW!

A world without fish? Without water? Musicians of the Bremer Philharmoniker wonder if Franz Schubert's "Trout Quintet" will still be relevant in the future if we don't act now. Click below to view the video on our new YouTube Channel. More OdW musicians will be making videos in the coming weeks to thank all scientists and COP26 participants for helping to preserve our planet.

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25. September 2021
#17Ziele Flashmob

Simultaneously at 1:00 pm on Saturday September 19th musicians and orchestras across 17 cities in Germany musicians drew attention to the UN’s 17 sustainable sustainable development goals with a flashmob of Beethoven's "Ode to Joy". Our member orchestras the Bremer Philharmoniker, Bochumer Symphoniker, Duisburger Philharmoniker, Düsseldorfer Symphoniker and Essener Philharmoniker, Stuttgarter Philharmoniker and Sinfonieorchester Wuppertal were a part of the world record setting event.

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18. July 2021
Orchestra of the Staatsoperette Dresden records for „EARTH•CHOIR•KIDS – Unsere Stimmen für das Klima“

Our member orchestra, the Orchestra of the Staatsoperette Dresden recently recorded three songs for the project "EARTH•CHOIR•KIDS - Our voices for the climate". EARTH•CHOIR•KIDS is a project by the songwriter Reinhard Horn, which aims to make children and young people aware of the issue of climate through music: creative, powerful and committed.

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24. June 2021
New Photo Gallery!

In May, musicians from 22 of our member orchestras met in Berlin to be a part of the first major musical project of "Orchester des Wandels": a CD recording under the baton of Thomas Guggeis and with the soprano Sarah Aristidou in the old Funkhaus Berlin and the state opera "Unter den Linden". Daniel Häker, a member of the Wuppertal Symphony Orchestra and photographer, accompanied the project and created a photo series that portrays the musicians in close relation to a small olive tree. This symbolizes our main project, the reforestation of ebony in Madagascar.

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23. June 2021
Duisburger Philharmoniker Nature Rally on June 27

In September 2020, ensembles of the Duisburger Philharmoniker played music as part of Climate Workshop#1 "For a thriving Duisburg" and presented their collaborations with nature conservation initiatives in the city. The proceeds of this concert went to the benefit of the association "Naturwerkstatt e.V." Together with Martin Scholz Naturwerkstatt e.V. we are now organizing a nature rally for families at the Sechs-Seen-Platte in Duisburg on June 27. This will be held as part of the project "Fruit Trees between Orient and Occident", for which the association received an award from UNESCO in 2013. On a tour, participating families will explore the forest and learn about the connections between music, nature and climate protection.

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03. June 2021
A quick and easy start

We have put together a great guide to sustainability in concert operations (currently available only in German)

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25. May 2021
BackstageBeethoven

BackstageBeethoven is the podcast of the Beethoven Orchestra Bonn (BOB), where one can find all news and talk about Beethoven, music and orchestra life. Musicians Martin Wandel and Anna Krimm of BOB, a member orchestra since the beginning of the year, speak with Magdalena Ernst (Chairperson of Orchester des Wandels) about projects, plans and goals of our climate protection initiative.

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25. May 2021
Signing of Music Declares Emergency's open letter

High profile individuals and organisations within the classical music world have joined with Music Declares Emergency to further strengthen the response from the music world to the climate emergency and to develop best practice in making their sector more sustainable. In an open letter they address themselves to the public and profess themselves for active climate protection. We have proudly signed this letter. Won't you too?

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30. April 2021
Livestreams for Nature

While the concert halls remain empty, many orchestras are offering digital concerts. The musicians of our member orchestra, Bochumer Symphoniker, call upon their livestream audience to make a donation to Orchester des Wandels in the amount that they would have spent on a concert ticket. Great idea!

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09. April 2021
"Culture is a wonderful way of bringing the issue of sustainability further into the community..."

In an interview with Concerti.de, our president Detlef Grooß talks about Orchester des Wandels ("Orchestras of Change"), new concert formats, the fight against climate change, our Madagascar project and our musicians, who see climate protection as a team sport.

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07. April 2021
We are growing!

We welcome three new member orchestras: Philharmonisches Orchester der Hansestadt Lübeck, Sinfonieorchester Wuppertal and the Dresden Staatsoperette Orchestra. Here you can learn more about our new member orchestras:

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