Berlin Philharmonic, orchestra, Berlin, Germany, founded 1882 by musicans who had left an ensemble led by Benjamin Bilse. The orchestra performs in the modernist Philharmonie concert hall (1963). Among its early conductors was Hans von Bülow (1887–92), who helped establish the orchestra's international reputation. Under Herbert von Karajan (1956–89), the Philharmonic made voluminous recordings and toured widely; Claudio Abbado (1989–2002) expanded the orchestra's repertoire to include more modern works. Sir Simon Rattle led the orchestra from 2002 to 2018; Kirill Petrenko succeeded him in 2019.
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