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Open up our new Music Boxes

Orchestre de la Place de l'Europe

 
 
 

«To know joy, one must share it.» – Lord Byron. The Philharmonie has taken the English poet’s timeless words to heart by creating the Orchestre de la Place de l’Europe.

The raison d’être of this growing community of 110 amateur musicians? Joy and togetherness. Since its inception in 2022, the orchestra has already brought audiences to emotional highs under the enthusiastic direction of Benjamin Schäfer. The witty percussionist of the Luxembourg Philharmonic likes to trade his timpani mallets for the conductor’s baton and has led his musicians through a multi-faceted repertoire including Antonín Dvořák, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Claude Debussy, Modest Mussorgsky, and Dmitri Shostakovich.

From the stage of the Grand Auditorium to the friendly atmosphere of the rehearsals, the OPE continues to remain faithful to its mission this season: opening hearts and minds to the joy of music. See you on 14.01.2024 or 30.06.2024 at the Philharmonie for the orchestra’s next concert, seated in the audience… or on stage yourself!

The orchestra is indeed always looking for new musicians. We look forward to your application!

 

If you would like to become a member of the orchestra, please fill out the following form:

 

Please prepare as you would for a live audition, downloading the corresponding audition excerpts by using the links below. Please film yourself playing the audition excerpts and upload your video.

 

Only applications with an uploaded video and the form filled out completely will be considered.

Your data will be used by the team of the Orchestre de la Place de l’Europe only for the audition process.

Rehearsals will take place every Monday evening (except during school holidays).

We are happy to answer any questions you may have; please email us at ope@philharmonie.lu.

Get your bows, mouthpieces and mallets ready and let your love for music guide you!

Benjamin Schäfer, music director

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  • Biography

    Born in Saarbrücken in 1985, Benjamin Schäfer took up the position of solo timpanist and percussionist in the Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg at the age of only 22. In addition, he regularly plays as a guest in the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, the radio orchestras of the Norddeutscher Rundfunk, the Saarländischer Rundfunk, the Dresdner Philharmonie, the Gürzenich Orchester Köln and the Staatsorchester Saarbrücken. After graduating from high school, he studied orchestral music at the Musikhochschule Trossingen with Franz Lang (SWR Symphonieorchester) and Guido Rückel (Münchner Philharmoniker). During his studies he was a timpanist in renowned youth orchestras such as the Bundesjugendorchester, the Junge Deutsche Philharmonie, the European Union Youth Orchestra and the Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester. For several years he has devoted himself intensively to conducting. He is the conductor of the brass ensemble of the Luxembourg Philharmonic and regularly takes part in competitions and master classes, among others at Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Sakari Oramo and Jorma Panula. In 2018 he was a semi-finalist at the 7th Jorma Panula International Conducting Competition in Finland. He is also Prizewinner of the 2nd International Conducting Competition in Bucharest, where he won the Audience Award and the Special Talent Award.