Berlin Philharmonic

Founded in 1882, the Berlin Philharmonic has thrived through revolution and war. All the while, however, it has cultivated a sound—rich, powerful, and precise, with a lustrous sheen and a limitless depth of expression—that makes it both the supreme embodiment of the great German symphonic tradition and, for many, one of the enduring wonders of the musical world. In part, that’s down to a series of formidable chief conductors, steeped in the Austro-German repertoire: Arthur Nikisch, Wilhelm Furtwängler, and, most famously, Herbert von Karajan, who took a war-battered orchestra and transformed it into a global media brand that dominated postwar classical recording. These days, thanks to the progressive spirit of its more recent conductors, such as Claudio Abbado, Simon Rattle, and Kirill Petrenko, you’re just as likely to hear the orchestra play Messiaen, Bernstein, Bruckner, and Beethoven. And it does so with a refinement, a seriousness and a deep, multilayered beauty of sound. Here, you can browse some of the most legendary recordings and formidable conductors in the orchestra’s history, alongside exclusive playlists, music from the names lighting up this season, and much more.

You can explore more from the Berlin Philharmonic on Apple Music Classical, the brand-new app designed for classical music, included with your Apple Music subscription. Tap the button to explore the app now.

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Berliner Philharmoniker Recordings was launched in 2014—for the first time in its history, the Berliner Philharmoniker had total control of what it wanted to record, and when. Over the past decade, the label has showcased the orchestra in a wide variety of repertoire under the batons of past, present, and guest conductors. Acclaimed complete cycles of Beethoven, Bruckner, and Schubert symphonies sit alongside works by Shostakovich, Unsuk Chin, and much more, all in the high-quality sound for which Berliner Philharmoniker Recordings has become known. To celebrate the label’s 10th anniversary, you can enjoy 10 of its very best releases, including Kirill Petrenko’s 2024 performance of Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No. 2.

Discover albums by the Berlin Philharmonic in Spatial Audio. Offered in addition to Lossless in Apple Music, Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos is an incredible three-dimensional experience. Music comes to you from above and all around you, clearer and crisper than ever, with every note feeling almost close enough to touch.

Kirill Petrenko took over the Berliner Philharmoniker baton from Sir Simon Rattle in August 2019, and, like his predecessor, has prioritized the orchestra’s clarity and balance of sound. His approach has paid dividends, bringing a vividness to majestic and penetrating performances of large-scale 19th- and early 20th-century works, from Beethoven to Tchaikovsky, through to Richard Strauss, Shostakovich, and Berg.

When, in 2018, Simon Rattle departed the Berlin Philharmonic after 16 years as its principal conductor, he left behind a transformed ensemble. While cementing its reputation in German Classical and Romantic symphonic music, Rattle considerably widened the orchestra’s repertoire: Baroque was back in, while new works were thrust center stage. Below, you can thrill to the sheer scope of repertoire magnificently recorded by one of history’s most powerful musical partnerships.

Claudio Abbado arrived at the Berlin Philharmonic in 1989, soon after the Berlin Wall had been torn down. In this period of new beginnings, Abbado made changes of his own, banishing the cult of the feared maestro and ushering in a more personal, affectionate connection with his musicians. The Italian conductor also adopted a fresher musical approach, uniting his love of the orchestral greats with an ambition to venture into the contemporary landscape. Explore below a handpicked selection of Abbado’s magisterial recordings with the Berlin Philharmonic.

Decades after his death in 1989, Herbert von Karajan remains arguably classical music’s most iconic conductor. His powerful mix of commanding stage presence, musical prowess, and a passion for emerging recording technologies won for the Berlin Philharmonic an unrivalled international stature. Experience the sheer power of some of the hundreds of recordings that Karajan made with the orchestra, among them no fewer than three complete Beethoven Symphony cycles.

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