The grand opening of the Musikforum was marked by a performance of
Mahler’s First Symphony as well as the premiere of Stefan Heucke’s
cantata, Baruch ata Adonaij – Gesegnet seist du, Herr,
performed by the Bochumer Symphoniker under Steven Sloane alongside
baritone Martijn Cornet, massed choirs from Bochum and the Ruhr region
and pupils from the Bochum Music School, which is situated in the new
building.
The new Anneliese Brost Musikforum Ruhr is built around the
Marienkirche, and will not only be home to the Bochumer Symphoniker, but
also provide a regional centre for culture. Before its opening, the
project was praised for engaging with the local community, and for
creating a versatile concert hall at a low cost in difficult economic
circumstances in a relatively short space of time. The concert hall’s
opening was covered by newspapers including the Neue Zürich Zeitung and the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, who praised the conception of the project and the acoustics of both new halls.
Steven Sloane marked his 20th anniversary with the orchestra
in the 2014/15 season. During his time as Music Director, he has
transformed the ensemble into one of Germany’s leading orchestras, and
brought international recognition to the arts in the Ruhr region through
work including the European Capital of Culture RUHR 2010.
