Staatskapelle Weimar

With ancestry stretching back to late medieval times, the Staatskapelle Weimar has deeper roots than almost any other German musical ensemble. Like many other German orchestras active in the 18th and 19th centuries, it has been associated with a theater, the present-day Deutsches Nationaltheater in Weimar. The orchestra started life well before that, in 1482, as the Herzoglichen Hofkapelle or Ducal Court Ensemble. The Staatskapelle Weimar continues to fulfill its role of accompanying dramatic productions; two operas, Purcell's Dido and Aeneas and Leonard Bernstein's Candide, were staged during its 2018 season. Dominik Beykirch acted as their chief conductor from 2020 to 2023, and music director from 2023 to 2025. Daniel Carter took over as music director at the beginning of the 2025-2026 season.