das junge orchester NRW: Lindlar youth hostel as rehearsal centre

Picture: the young orchestra NRW in the Philharmonie Essen, photographer: Gerrit Cramer

For almost 40 years, the junge orchester NRW has been delighting its audiences with rousing concerts. Founded in 1985 by the brothers Ingo Ernst Reihl and Jörg Reihl, the orchestra has become a permanent fixture in the German music scene. The ensemble meets twice a year for intensive rehearsal phases - preferably in the Lindlar Youth Hostel, which, with its excellent infrastructure, offers ideal conditions.

A success story from Essen

At just 18 and 15 years old, Jörg and Ingo Ernst Reihl and others had the idea of founding their own orchestra. It all started with a chance encounter: at a suburban railway station in Essen, they got talking to musicians whose ensemble had just disbanded. This gave rise to the vision of a new orchestra, which still exists today.

While Ingo Ernst Reihl is the conductor and musical director, his brother Jörg and flautist Eva Sickinger are responsible for organising the concerts and planning the rehearsal phases. Twice a year - in winter and in May - the orchestra comes together for an intensive week of rehearsals before performing its programmes in renowned concert halls such as the Essen Philharmonie or the Anneliese Brost Musikforum Ruhr in Bochum.

Lindlar as the perfect rehearsal venue

Over the years, the junge orchester NRW has tried out various rehearsal venues. However, it finally found a partner in Lindlar Youth Hostel, which offers ideal conditions for intensive preparations. The spacious facilities are a particular advantage: In addition to the day rooms and rooms in the youth hostel, the orchestra also uses the acoustically excellent Lindlar Cultural Centre for full rehearsals and the classrooms of the Vossbruch School for rehearsals of the registers. This co-operation is unique in this form and enables the ensemble to prepare optimally for the upcoming concerts.

„It's really not easy to find suitable and affordable rehearsal rooms for 100 to 140 musicians,“ explains Jörg Reihl. „But everything is just right in Lindlar: the cooperation with the youth hostel, the town and the schools is excellent. We have enough space and a great atmosphere here.“

Intensive rehearsals with passionate dedication

The rehearsal week in Lindlar is intensive, with up to ten hours of music-making a day. The first rehearsals start after breakfast, lunch is eaten together, the rehearsals continue in the afternoon and a big rehearsal takes place after dinner. Participation requires a high level of commitment, as the musicians pay their own costs - for accommodation and transport - in order to experience a productive but also stressful week full of music.

„We are not a traditional youth orchestra with a fixed age limit or entrance exam,“ says Jörg Reihl. „Our aim is for everyone who enjoys making music to be able to join - whether they are school pupils, students or professional musicians.“ The age structure ranges from 16 years to adulthood, and there is currently even a 12-year-old percussionist.

Lindlar as part of the concert tour

A special highlight of the rehearsal phase is the final concert in Lindlar. Here, the musicians can present their new programme to an audience for the first time in a public dress rehearsal. The response is consistently positive: the performances are always well attended and many audience members even travel to the big concerts later on, e.g. to the Philharmonie Essen or the Stadthalle Wuppertal. As a special thank you, visitors to the Lindlar concert this year received free admission to one of the later concerts for the first time - a sign of the orchestra's special bond with the town of Lindlar.

An orchestra with heart and a future

the junge orchester NRW combines musical excellence with a sense of community. Over the years, the association with Lindlar Youth Hostel has become a permanent institution that benefits both sides. With its open philosophy and unique rehearsal structure, the orchestra remains a special place for musicians from all over Germany and beyond - and Lindlar continues to be the heart of its musical preparation.