The Austrian-Hungarian Haydn Philharmonic
The Sound of Burgenland
Yomiuri Shimbun (Japan), 21.07.23
“Onofri skillfully used his whole body to present an extraordinary and unique interpretation, enveloping the stage with an overwhelming presence. The performance was remarkably powerful, captivating listeners with its profound expression and remarkable articulation. Many music critics, already familiar with Haydn's works were left astonished. The pieces showed a new musical expression that captivated the audience again and again with playful elements…It's the extraordinary combination of this group that could only be achieved by them and commands unwavering attention.”
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, 03.2020
“Shostakovich’s Cello Concerto No.1 reached its climax … (which) Altstaedt made audible as soloist and primus inter pares with the Haydn Philharmonic Orchestra, which he has directed since 2015, in a chamber music interpretation as if cast in one piece, with all sharpness and urgency."
Oberösterreichische Nachrichten, 10.2021
”In the two Haydn Symphonies Nos. 84 and 97, the Haydn Philharmonic played their experience with this music and allowed themselves to be seduced by Nicolas Altstaedt's impulsive, sometimes edgy, extremely lively, but never exaggerated conducting into a rousing interpretation. Haydn as lively and full of life as he should be, and yet with a certain spiritual depth.
Conclusion: A concert that kcaught one from the first to the last minute and showered you with a lot of joy of making music.”
The Austrian Hungarian Haydn Philharmonic was founded in 1987 in Eisenstadt by Adam Fischer from members of the Vienna Philharmonic and the major Hungarian orchestras. It was Fischer's concern to bring selected musicians from these two countries together to outcome the border musically before the fall of the "Iron Curtain" by performing the work of Joseph Haydn together in the historic halls at the Esterházy Palaces, for which Haydn had composed the majority of his works.
Nicolas Altstaedt is the artistic director of the orchestra from 2017-21, which is now made up of selected musicians from many nationalities. In 2019 the close collaboration with Enrico Onofri as first guest conductor begins. Starting with 2024 the Haydn Philharmonic works with Enrico Onofri as their Artistic Partner.
Outside of Burgenland, the orchestra has established itself internationally through numerous successful tours within Europe, as well as through the USA and Asia: invitations to the Konzerthaus and the Musikverein in Vienna, to the Budapest Palace of Arts, the Zurich Tonhalle, the Festspielhaus Baden Baden,
the Berlin Philharmonie, the Auditorio Nacional Madrid or the famous Palau de la Musica in Barcelona, the London "Proms", the New York "Mostly Mozart" Festival, the Suntory Hall Tokyo, Seoul Arts Center, in the National Center of Performing Arts in Beijing, the Shanghai Symphony Hall, the Sala Sao Paulo or the famous Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires bear witness to the international reputation of the ensemble.
The Haydn Philharmonic recorded all of Haydn's symphonies with Adam Fischer between 1987 and 2001. Two CDs in collaboration with MDG Dabringhaus & Grimm received the renowned German music prize "Echo Klassik" in 2006 and 2008. The recording of Mozart's Clarinet Concerto with Sharon Kam was awarded the Diapason D'Or in 2011. With Nicolas Altstaedt, Joseph Haydn's oratorios "The Creation" and "The Seasons" (with Christina Landshamer, Mark Padmore and Florian Bösch, among others) were recorded for ORFIII and fidelio.at.