Discovery Nights | 1 Guided Tour + 1 Apéro + 1 Concert
Music-making depends on sharing, independent of the age and training of the people making music. This conviction inspired the Philharmonie Luxembourg to initiate the new amateur orchestra early this year, L’Orchestre de la Place de l’Europe. Conducted by Benjamin Schäfer, it unites almost 100 amateur musicians aged 18 and up. They have completed an audition process and are now meeting for weekly rehearsals in a relaxed atmosphere, in order to give an annual concert at the Grand Auditorium of the Philharmonie. The programme for the 2021/22 season concert, featuring Antonín Dvořák’s majestic Symphony No. 9 «From the New World», was the crowning finale of the Fräiraim Festival, played to a sold-out hall. During the 2022/23 season, the orchestra will perform on June 17, 2023.
On 17.06.2023, the Orchestre de la Place de l'Europe will present Shostakovich's Suite for Jazz Orchestra No. 2 at the Philharmonie. To make this ambitious project come true, we invite new instruments to come on board, namely: alto saxophones, a tenor saxophone, an accordion and a guitar.
Are you a saxophonist or an accordionist ? Send us a video of yourself playing your instrument’s score, which can be downloaded from this page.
Guitar players can record a piece of their choice.
As for permanent memberships, the Orchestra is still looking for violins, violas, double basses and contrabassoonists. The latter may submit a video of their choice, like guitar candidates.
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 Orchester Philharmonique du Luxembourg 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.
