Orchestre Place de l’Europe
Committed to sharing and excellence
«Being part of this orchestra is not just musically fulfilling, but also emotionally», timpanist Jeff Schiltz points out. His colleague, the violinist Pauline Marmaï, agrees: «Benjamin shows us that what matters isn’t so much perfection as it is the joy of making something beautiful together.»
No words could better capture the «raison d’être» of the Orchestre Place de l’Europe. Since its inception in 2022, this growing community of 110 non-professional musicians has already brought audiences to emotional highs under the enthusiastic direction of Benjamin Schäfer, the witty percussionist of the Luxembourg Philharmonic who likes to trade his timpani mal- lets for the conductor’s baton. From the stage to the friendly atmosphere of the rehearsals, the orchestra continues to remain faithful to its mission of sharing the joy of music whilst also widening its horizons.
After performing outside of the Philharmonie for the first time in 2023/24 on the stage of CAPE Ettelbruck, Benjamin Schäfer and his musicians will travel all the way to Berlin this season, where the iconic Konzerthaus is inviting them to share the stage with its Publikumsorchester. The latter will in turn travel to Luxembourg, giving the audience a chance to sample the fruits of this unique collaboration.
Eva Klein