Rennovated Dresden Kulturpalas Expands City’s Musical Culture

Philharmonic Orchestra,  Cabaret & Public Library Contained In The Modern Glass Building

The musical culture of Dresden, Germany reaches a high note with the renovation of  Kulturpalast, a modernized cultural center with a new concert hall as its centerpiece attraction.

Located in the center of the city at the Old Market Square, the renovated Kulturpalast is the new state-of-the-art concert hall for Dresden’s Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as modern space for Dresden’s Central Library and a theater for “Die Herkuleskeule” Cabaret.

Coming on the heels of the newly opened State Operetta in December, the Kulturpalast is anoterh addition to Dresden’s already rich musical landscape.

The Kulturpalast traces its history to 1969 when Dresden celebrated the Kulturpalast’s opening with a gala event and it became the home of the Dresden Philharmonic and the Saxon State Orchestra. In the 70s and 80s, renowned orchestras performed here, including the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra in 1978, Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra in 1984 and New York Philharmonic Orchestra in 1985.

Now, with 1,800 seats, the Kulturpalast is the new home for the Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra whose sound will be amplified by a new acoustical system.

Almost 150 years old, the Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra’s has preserved its own “German” sound in the romantic genre but it has also developed flexibility to play Baroque and Viennese classical music as well as modern works. In addition to classical concerts, the Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra hosts concerts and musicians from an array of different genres including jazz, modern, pop, musical, and film.

Within the Kulurpalast is also Dresden’s new central public library with approximately 5,500 square meters of space, shelves for 300,000 media and 450 different spots to read, browse the internet, listen to audio and more.

The final piece of the new Kulturpalast’s puzzle is the cabaret. First formed in 1961, the “Die Herkuleskeule” Cabaret is known as one of the best cabarets in Germany. Today, Wolfgang Schaller, who joined the ensemble in 1970, and celebrated his 70th birthday in 2010, manages the cabaret.

The cabaret currently performs in modern rooms at the Dresden Sternplatz, but with the move to the Kulturpalast the cabaret will finally move to Dresden’s center. The cabaret’s new home will have a slightly larger audience capacity. It will be located at the center of the Kulturpalast and have its own foyer and coat check area, giving it the feel of a house within a house.

Link: Saxony, Germany Tourism