Inauguration of Elbphilharmonie Hamburg on January 11-12 featuring NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra

The BMW Group as long-term partner

Hamburg. On January 11 and 12, Elbphilharmonie Hamburg will be inaugurated with an opening ceremony and opening concerts. The inauguration’s musical programme will be presented by the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra, which will find its new home in the Great Hall as orchestra in residence under the direction of Thomas Hengelbrock. The BMW Dealership Hamburg has been the official partner of Laeiszhalle since 2002 and since 2008, the BMW Group has been supporting Elbphilarmonie Hamburg.

The opening concerts of January 11 and 12 will be following the theme “Here Time Becomes Space.” In addition to performances by the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra, visitors will be able to enjoy the NDR choir, the choir of Bayerischer Rundfunk, Pavol Breslik (tenor), Anja Harteros (soprano), Wiebke Lehmkuhl (alto), Philippe Jaroussky (countertenor), Bryn Terfel (Bassbariton) and Iveta Apkalna (organ). Under the direction of conductor Thomas Hengelbrock both evening concerts will present a range of works by composers such as Ludwig van Beethoven, Emilio de‘ Cavalieri, Rolf Liebermann, Olivier Messiaen, Michael Praetorius, Wolfgang Rihm, Richard Wagner and Bernd Alois Zimmermann. Alongside numerous government officials, most notably German President Joachim Gauck, invited guests include the members of the board of the BMW Group, Dr Ian Robertson and Dr Nicolas Peter.

Maximilian Schöberl, Chief Representative, BMW Group, said, “For nearly 50 years and with over 100 projects worldwide, BMW Group Cultural Engagement has been committed to long-term partnerships in each of its ventures. We are very proud to have been a partner of Elbphilharmonie Hamburg since as early as 2008. We have always believed that this concert hall and landmark of Hamburg will be as unique a place for music in Germany and Europe as it will be an outstanding philharmonic hall of international renown.

Christoph Lieben-Seutter, General Director Elbphilharmonie Hamburg und Laeiszhalle said, “We are very pleased about the continued and consistent cooperation with BMW. First launched nearly 15 years ago at Laeiszhalle, this joint venture has since made possible many artistic ventures. Since 2008, BMW Group has also been supporting Elbphilharmonie Hamburg. At that time, the completion of the building was still a long way into the future – today Hamburg’s new concert hall stands in all its glory and will from now on be filled with sonorous sounds ringing out into the city and the world. We are proud and delighted that BMW as the principal partner for a decade will continue to stand by our side.”

About Elbphilharmonie

With Elbphilarmonie Hamburg, the city of Hamburg will become home to a world-class concert hall for classical music as well as jazz, world music and pop music. Designed by Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron, the building is not only an extraordinary architectural landmark but an exceptional performance venue with one of the world’s best concert halls. In total, the building features three concert halls, a large area dedicated to musical education, gastronomy, a hotel as well as a public plaza offering visitors a unique panoramic view of the entire city. Outstanding artistic quality, great variety and easy accessibility will characterise the musical programme of Hamburg’s new cultural landmark.

Elbphilarmonie Hamburg’s press conference will take place in the Small Hall of Elbphilarmonie Hamburg on January 11, 2017 at 1 pm.

BMW Group Engagement Classical Music

From Moscow via Seoul, Milan and London to Munich and Berlin; from star conductors Daniel Barenboim, Valery Gergiev, Zubin Mehta and Kirill Petrenko via chamber concerts of contemporary music to large-scale programmes of cultural and musical education – the commitment of BMW Group in the field of classical music is as diverse as it is lasting. In addition to Laeiszhalle and Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, other internationally renowned opera houses and orchestras including Bayerische Staatsoper, Staatsoper Berlin, Münchner Philharmoniker, London Symphony Orchestra, Teatro alla Scala, Bolshoi Theater and Opéra National de Paris have been long-standing partners.

For further information regarding the cultural commitment of BMW Group in the fields of modern and contemporary art, classical music and jazz as well as architecture and design, please visit www.bmwgroup.com/kultur und www.bmwgroup.com/kultur/ueberblick.

For further questions please contact:

Dr Thomas Girst

BMW Group Corporate and Intergovernmental Affairs

Head of Cultural Engagement

Telephone: +49-89-382-24753

Stefanie Jennes

BMW Group Corporate and Intergovernmental Affairs

Cultural Engagement

Telephone: +49-89-382-30804

Bernhard Ederer

BMW Group Corporate and Intergovernmental Affairs

Spokesperson BMW Welt

Telephone: +49-89-382-28556

www.press.bmwgroup.com

Email: presse@bmw.de

About BMW Group’s Cultural Commitment

For almost 50 years now, the BMW Group has initiated and engaged in over 100 cultural cooperations worldwide. The company places the main focus of its long-term commitment on contemporary and modern art, classical music and jazz as well as architecture and design. In 1972, three large-scale paintings were created by the artist Gerhard Richter specifically for the foyer of the BMW Group's Munich headquarters. Since then, artists such as Andy Warhol, Jeff Koons, Daniel Barenboim, Jonas Kaufmann and architect Zaha Hadid have co-operated with BMW. Currently, female artist Cao Fei from China and American John Baldessari are creating the next two vehicles for the BMW Art Car Collection. Besides co-initiatives, such as BMW Tate Live, the BMW Art Journey and the “Opera for All” concerts in Berlin, Munich and London, the company also partners with leading museums and art fairs as well as orchestras and opera houses around the world. The BMW Group takes absolute creative freedom in all its cultural activities – as this initiative is as essential for producing groundbreaking artistic work as it is for major innovations in a successful business.

Further information: www.bmwgroup.com/culture and www.bmwgroup.com/culture/overview 

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The BMW Group

With its three brands BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce, the BMW Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles and also provides premium financial and mobility services. As a global company, the BMW Group operates 30 production and assembly facilities in 14 countries and has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.

In 2015, the BMW Group sold approximately 2.247 million cars and nearly 137,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax for the financial year 2015 was approximately € 9.22 billion on revenues amounting to € 92.18 billion. As of 31 December 2015, the BMW Group had a workforce of 122,244 employees.

The success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term thinking and responsible action. The company has therefore established ecological and social sustainability throughout the value chain, comprehensive product responsibility and a clear commitment to conserving resources as an integral part of its strategy.

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