Goals and support

Supporting, sponsoring, helping – the Friends of the Berliner Philharmoniker are involved in a variety of ways:

• Purchasing high-quality instruments
• Funding assistance for musicians in the orchestra enabling them to purchase instruments of their own
• Improving the facilities of the Philharmonic Hall, e.g. in the areas of sound technology and the design of the lobby
• Critically examining and presenting the history of the orchestra
• Sponsoring specific orchestra projects

Last but not least, the board members of the association provide advice and support to the Berliner Philharmoniker Foundation.

(Photo: Thomas Rosenthal)

Our projects

Since 2003 the “Friends” have raised almost € 2 million including many interest-free loans granted to members of the Berliner Philharmoniker Orchestra to purchase instruments.

2019

• Purchase of a historical guestbook of the Berliner Philharmoniker

• Grant for the organisation of Kirill Petrenko’s welcome concert at the Brandenburg Gate (24.08.2019)

• Grant for audiovisual upgrading of the Chamber Music Hall / Digital Education

• Grant for free orchestra platform seats for young music lovers

2018

• Grant for audiovisual upgrading of the Chamber Music Hall / Digital Education
• Purchase of a Steinway concert grand piano
• Grant for the organisation of the European concert in Paris on 1 May 2019
• Grant for the management of the Berliner Philharmoniker’s picture archive

2017

• Grant for audiovisual upgrading of the Chamber Music Hall / Digital Education
• Grant for the production of an illustrated book about the Berliner Philharmoniker and Sir Simon Rattle

2016

• Purchase of a viola by Domenico Busan, Venice 1780

2015

• One-time grant to support the work of the Orchestra Academy
• Grant to purchase a bust of Claudio Abbado
• Grant to support the archive with regard to the Abbado legacy 

2014

2013

2012

2011

• The purchase of a Tourt-Violin-Bow for use by the Berliner Philharmoniker
• Travel grant for a UNICEF Project (Haiti) of the Berliner Philharmoniker
• Purchase of the foundation Heckelphone
• Grant to restore the organ

2010

• Underwriting the transcription and translation costs of the Victor-Hußla-Letters
• Grant for the purchase of a concert piano for the Philharmonie
• Grant for building a joint archive of the Berliner Philharmoniker Stiftung

2009

• Grant for modernising sound technology in the Chamber Music Hall
• Grant for the acquisition of a B-Piano
• Financial aid in the acquisition of the Stradivari Ex Hubai

2008

• Grant for the creating a video project on the history of the Philharmonie
• Grant for the restoration of the Philharmonie Organ
• Buying a new double bass

2007

• Purchase of 4 Baroque violin bows
• Purchase of the Storioni violin
• Grant for the planning costs of the extension of the Philharmonie

2006

• Acquisition of a photographic artwork for the foyer of the Philharmonie
• Grant for the Klaus Stoll DVD project
• Grant for research of the orchestra’s history for its 125-year jubilee
• Grant for the “Entartete Musik” (Degenerate Music) exhibition

2005

• Grant for the redesign of the East Entrance of the Philharmonie
• Grant for the documentation of the history of the orchestra between 1933 and 1945
• Grant for the documentation of the history of the orchestra on its 125-year jubilee
• Grant for educational work, financing of instruments as well as special activities of the Stiftung Berliner Philharmoniker (Berliner Philharmoniker Foundation)

2004

• Purchase of a Bechstein grand piano for the Berliner Philharmoniker
• Second grant for enhancing the acoustics and lighting
• Grant for the redesign of the East Entrance of the Philharmonie
• Purchase of the remaining stock of Peter Muck’s 100 years of the Berlin Philharmonic
• Additional grant for publishing the Abbado book

2003

• Enhancing the acoustics in the Chamber Music Hall
• Funding the youth work of the Berliner Philharmoniker
• Taking over the Stresemann archive
• Grant for publishing the Abbado book