It is with profound sadness that we learned of the passing of the conductor Sir Roger Norrington. With him, we have lost a dear friend and long-time artistic associate. As a period instrument pioneer, Sir Roger Norrington was one of the most influential and stylistically defining conductors of our time. Referring to his dogmatic aversion to what he considered the unhistorical use of continuous vibrato in orchestral playing, Norrington once said it was not his task to change music. His aim was to perform music as authentically and true to the original as possible.

Born in 1934 in Oxford, England, Sir Roger Norrington initially studied English literature and history, only later taking up the violin and singing, and eventually conducting. Then, in 1962, Norrington formed the Schütz Choir and later the London Classical Players, the orchestra with which he explored historically informed performance practices on original instruments from the period between 1750 and 1900. In his more than 50-year conducting career, he worked with many renowned ensembles including the Berlin and Vienna Philharmonic Orchestras, as well as the New York, Boston, Chicago and Cleveland orchestras.

With The Deutsche Kammer­philharmonie Bremen the British conductor enjoyed a very special relationship since their first collaboration in 2003. From 2010 onwards, due to his advanced age, Norrington only worked a few weeks a year – and the Kammer­philharmonie always featured among the exclusive number of rare projects he undertook. »Of all the modern orchestras that also perform early music, this orchestra sounds the most historical«, Sir Roger Norrington once explained on Deutschlandradio Kultur. Bremen audiences will doubtless remember his unforgettable performances and typical British sense of humour, when Norrington, who in more recent years regularly conducted while seated, would turn to the audience with a characteristic twinkle in his eye.

Sir Roger Norrington was nominated for a Grammy four times, and finally received the award in 2001. In 2021, aged 87, he took his final bow as a conductor. In a statement he said »I have enjoyed every minute of over 50 years of making music with some of the most wonderful and talented musicians in the world. The time has come to step off the podium«. Sir Roger Norrington died on 18 July 2025, aged 91. We will miss him sorely.

We extend our deepest sympathy to his family.

»Paavo Järvi and The Deutsche Kammer­philharmonie Bremen have earned our city a place on the global musical map,« said Bremen’s mayor and senator for culture Andreas Bovenschulte on presenting the Senate Medal for Art and Science to Paavo Järvi.

Paavo Järvi has been Artistic Director of The Deutsche Kammer­philharmonie Bremen since 2004. At a presentation ceremony held at Bremen City Hall at the end of November, the Estonian conductor was awarded this special distinction for his services to the orchestra and Bremen’s cultural sector during his two-decade tenure.

The first joint recordings of the Haydn symphonies caused an international sensation last year. The prestigious ›Orchestra of the Year 2023‹ award from the British classical music magazine ›Gramophone‹ was followed this year by the Opus Klassik award as ›Orchestra of the Year‹ for the Haydn recordings.

Now the orchestra and its principal conductor are going one better: the double CD featuring Haydn’s symphonies Nos. 94 and 99 as well as 95 and 98 is now globally available in stores and across all major streaming channels. Our recommendation: the beautifully designed Bremen special edition exclusively available from our customer service centre and in the webshop.

It is with profound sadness that we learned of the passing of the conductor Sir Roger Norrington. With him, we have lost a dear friend and long-time artistic associate. As a period instrument pioneer, Sir Roger Norrington was one of the most influential and stylistically defining conductors of our time. Referring to his dogmatic aversion to what he considered the unhistorical use of continuous vibrato in orchestral playing, Norrington once said it was not his task to change music. His aim was to perform music as authentically and true to the original as possible.

Born in 1934 in Oxford, England, Sir Roger Norrington initially studied English literature and history, only later taking up the violin and singing, and eventually conducting. Then, in 1962, Norrington formed the Schütz Choir and later the London Classical Players, the orchestra with which he explored historically informed performance practices on original instruments from the period between 1750 and 1900. In his more than 50-year conducting career, he worked with many renowned ensembles including the Berlin and Vienna Philharmonic Orchestras, as well as the New York, Boston, Chicago and Cleveland orchestras.

With The Deutsche Kammer­philharmonie Bremen the British conductor enjoyed a very special relationship since their first collaboration in 2003. From 2010 onwards, due to his advanced age, Norrington only worked a few weeks a year – and the Kammer­philharmonie always featured among the exclusive number of rare projects he undertook. »Of all the modern orchestras that also perform early music, this orchestra sounds the most historical«, Sir Roger Norrington once explained on Deutschlandradio Kultur. Bremen audiences will doubtless remember his unforgettable performances and typical British sense of humour, when Norrington, who in more recent years regularly conducted while seated, would turn to the audience with a characteristic twinkle in his eye.

Sir Roger Norrington was nominated for a Grammy four times, and finally received the award in 2001. In 2021, aged 87, he took his final bow as a conductor. In a statement he said »I have enjoyed every minute of over 50 years of making music with some of the most wonderful and talented musicians in the world. The time has come to step off the podium«. Sir Roger Norrington died on 18 July 2025, aged 91. We will miss him sorely.

We extend our deepest sympathy to his family.

»Paavo Järvi and The Deutsche Kammer­philharmonie Bremen have earned our city a place on the global musical map,« said Bremen’s mayor and senator for culture Andreas Bovenschulte on presenting the Senate Medal for Art and Science to Paavo Järvi.

Paavo Järvi has been Artistic Director of The Deutsche Kammer­philharmonie Bremen since 2004. At a presentation ceremony held at Bremen City Hall at the end of November, the Estonian conductor was awarded this special distinction for his services to the orchestra and Bremen’s cultural sector during his two-decade tenure.

The first joint recordings of the Haydn symphonies caused an international sensation last year. The prestigious ›Orchestra of the Year 2023‹ award from the British classical music magazine ›Gramophone‹ was followed this year by the Opus Klassik award as ›Orchestra of the Year‹ for the Haydn recordings.

Now the orchestra and its principal conductor are going one better: the double CD featuring Haydn’s symphonies Nos. 94 and 99 as well as 95 and 98 is now globally available in stores and across all major streaming channels. Our recommendation: the beautifully designed Bremen special edition exclusively available from our customer service centre and in the webshop.