How we began
The German Rhine Philharmonic Orchestra (GRP) fills a gap in the spectrum: thoroughly proficient in its performances, it far surpasses the standard of other independent orchestras. At the same time, its unorthodox membership structure allows the orchestra to operate on a relatively low budget. The GRP is very versatile too. The independent GRP is made up of highly trained musicians. They adjust their formation to meet the needs of each musical project, needing little time to master one programme before moving on to the next. This concept combines artistic professionalism with a high level of personal commitment on the part of each member. What they all have in common is a shared delight in music-making. The orchestra is therefore flexible in planning the time frames and content of its musical projects. This makes the ensemble far less expensive to run than other orchestras and thus very competitive in a fiercely contested market. The GRP is structured as an association and is financed by concert revenue and donations without charging membership fees.
The GRP’s musical profile is centred on the performance of rarely played and contemporary compositions as well as works of the standard symphonic repertoire by such composers as Ludwig van Beethoven, Joseph Joachim Raff, Frank Martin, Franz Berwald, Ferdinand Ries, Niels Gade, Dmitri Shostakovich, Nino Rota, Sergey Rakhmaninov and Luigi Dallapiccola. The GRP’s delight in music-making can be felt during its high-quality concerts.
Also read the interview with the artistic director about the orientation of the GDR
Origins
The orchestra was first heard in 2016 when Desar Sulejmani directed a production of Mozart’s The Magic Flute at the Joburg Theatre in Johannesburg, South Africa. The music director established the ensemble for the purposes of this project. The orchestra’s handling of the music and high artistic quality were repeatedly praised by the local press and hailed as one of the highlights of the entire production. Another joint project with the Joburg Theatre is currently in the pipeline for 2018: a production of Mozart’s Don Giovanni.
Music director
The ensemble’s music director is the internationally active pianist and conductor Desar Sulejmani, co-founder and conductor of the DRP. Born in Albania, this thoroughbred German musician conducts several orchestras in Germany and regularly gives concerts as a pianist, chamber musician and conductor in many European and Asian countries. For several years now, he has also been busy teaching the piano, chamber music and conducting in Germany and abroad. He is the artistic director of the European Summer Music Academy in Kosovo. Since February 2017 he has also directed the Pro-Klassik concert series in Königswinter. Sulejmani is well connected worldwide and has for many years been giving concerts as a soloist in Germany and abroad. As director of the DRP, he is in charge of managing concert requests and enquiries.