About us

History

The story of the orchestra

Late 2024

The founding

The Süddeutsches Sinfonieorchester has its beginnings towards the end of 2024. It started as a group of young musicians who came together in Stuttgart – all prize-winners of numerous national and international competitions, members of the Bundesjugendorchester and, above all, friends who wanted to play together!

Out of a longing to play as soloists with orchestras, to gain experience and to try things out, they decided simply to found an orchestra of their own and to organise themselves. The association "Junge Solisten Stuttgart e.V." was born.

December 2024

First concert in the Mozartsaal

With hardly any experience of running an orchestra but with high ambitions, the idea found support among young musicians in the Stuttgart area, and the first chamber music concerts were organised in churches. Only a few months after its founding, this allowed the association to give a self-organised concert in the Mozartsaal of the Liederhalle Stuttgart in December 2024. The up-and-coming musicians from the music academy, the Bundesjugendorchester and the Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra were supported by section leaders from Stuttgart’s renowned professional orchestras, who played desk by desk alongside the young musicians. The first concert in the Liederhalle was an all-Mozart programme: the Salzburg genius’s two Sinfonie Concertante, for violin and viola and for four solo wind instruments, were performed. Mozart’s famous Symphony No. 40 in G minor rounded off the evening, to storms of enthusiasm and long ovations in the well-attended Mozartsaal.

Spring 2025

In the Beethovensaal

After this successful start and a number of further projects, the association took on its next major undertaking. At that point the orchestra still had no name of its own and the association had existed for less than six months, yet it ventured for the first time into the Beethovensaal of the Liederhalle, a regular venue for the world’s renowned orchestras. Realising the vision entirely on their own, the musicians threw themselves into the project heart and soul, and thanks to persistent work they succeeded in creating a stirring concert. A particular concern of the orchestra was, and still is, social commitment and responsibility in the way young people work together. The concert was a charity concert in aid of the “Olgäle-Stiftung” of Stuttgart’s children’s hospital.

Mid-2025

A name of its own

With this concert in mid-2025, the association appeared for the first time under the name "Süddeutsches Sinfonieorchester". Only a few months after its founding, and still an unknown orchestra, it achieved a breakthrough into the professional dimensions of symphonic music.

December 2025

Independence and “Sturm und Klang!”

At that time the Süddeutsches Sinfonieorchester (SDO for short) was still part of the association “Junge Solisten Stuttgart e.V.”. As the orchestra kept growing in size and quality, however, those responsible decided to make it independent. From then on the orchestra performed on its own, yet it remained closely tied to its origins, so as to continue offering young talents of the region a fitting stage for their abilities. At the particular request of music director Patrick Giesel, orchestral concerts therefore continue to be organised in order to support highly gifted young artists. This will take place in future as part of the annual concert series “Sturm und Klang!”.

A first edition of the format has already taken place, in December 2025 in the Mozartsaal of the Liederhalle Stuttgart. Once again, members of the orchestra sat at the desks alongside professional musicians from Stuttgart orchestras to accompany five exceptionally gifted musicians from Baden-Württemberg, who had previously been chosen in a selection process.

In keeping with the guiding idea of supporting young people, this concert was also a charity concert, in aid of children in need. The partner of the concert was UNICEF Stuttgart.

Early 2026

Vivaldi in Heilbronn

The orchestra still performs now and then as a smaller ensemble, and by now it has long outgrown the Stuttgart area. In early 2026 it ventured for the first time into other major cities of the state. In a Baroque line-up, it played Vivaldi’s famous “Four Seasons” at the Harmonie Heilbronn to a sold-out hall. After each movement the musicians were interrupted by loud applause and enthusiasm from the audience, and when the last note had faded the hall thanked the ensemble euphorically with a standing ovation.

“… the musicians bring out all the refinement and technical challenges …”Heilbronner Stimme

February 2026

The first tour

In February 2026 the orchestra went on its first concert tour through Baden-Württemberg. To realise a larger symphonic programme, it rehearsed for several days, from morning to night, in the Black Forest before the tour began. The SDO devoted itself not only to Antonín Dvořák’s monumental Symphony No. 9 but also to Brahms’s Double Concerto, with soloists from the orchestra. In addition, a tone poem written especially for the occasion by music director Giesel received its premiere at the concerts. Mindful of its tradition and beginnings, the orchestra’s section leaders gave a joint encore after the symphony, with the conductor joining the ensemble as a cellist – and the audience was delighted!

As part of this project the orchestra appeared in renowned concert halls across Baden-Württemberg. The last concert of the tour in particular, at the Forum am Schlosspark in Ludwigsburg, brought the SDO attention beyond the region, and a loyal following is slowly but surely developing, spread across the whole state.

August 2026

The first season of its own

In August 2026 the Süddeutsches Sinfonieorchester presents its very first complete season. Under the guiding theme “Being human. Becoming human.”, four symphony concerts tell of the great milestones of life: Aufbruch!, Zeitenbruch!, Durchbruch! and Ewigkeit!. The programme includes works by Beethoven, Bach, Schönberg, Strauss, Sibelius and Bruckner, along with the premiere of a new work by music director Patrick Giesel. The pianist Lisi Namchevadze accompanies the season as Artist in Residence.

Alongside the symphony concerts there is, for the first time, a chamber music series of its own: in cooperation with the Freies Musikzentrum Stuttgart, members of the orchestra play on one Sunday a month from October to March. There are also special concerts with the chamber orchestra, in which members of the orchestra appear as soloists – very much in the tradition of its beginnings as “Junge Solisten Stuttgart”. And the “Sturm und Klang!” series is growing: the 26/27 season includes no fewer than three concerts for young talents on string and wind instruments and on the piano.

In all, the first season comprises 4 symphony programmes, 6 chamber music concerts and 6 special concerts.

Explore the season

Today

A symphony orchestra

The Süddeutsches Sinfonieorchester is always distinguished by a joy in playing, passion and flexibility at a high level. What began as an ensemble is increasingly becoming a respected symphony orchestra. The musicians are driven by the spirit of giving people wonderful moments in classical music through meticulous work and performances of the highest quality.

Outlook

The future

There is no end to this development in sight, and the SDO will soon be presenting itself again. One thing seems certain:

The future of classical music belongs to the next generation – and so to the musicians of the Süddeutsches Sinfonieorchester.

“… played on the proverbial edge of their seats by the SDO, palpably burning for a cause.”Ludwigsburger Kreiszeitung

To be continued...

As of November 2026