Close-up and Diverse: The Munich Symphony Orchestra

Joseph Bastian recalls his first concert with the Munich Symphony Orchestra at the Isarphilharmonie: “There was a 15-year-old boy with Down’s syndrome sitting on the choir balcony above the stage who reacted fantastically to the music,” says the chief conductor. “Whenever something was particularly loud, beautiful or emotional, he totally flipped out!” Bastian, who campaigns for more inclusion and accessibility at concerts, is moved by honest reactions from the audience.

Commitment and cohesion
Bastian has been the independent orchestra’s chief conductor since 2023, and his contract was recently extended ahead of schedule until 2031. He particularly appreciates the collective’s strong cohesion: “Musicians who play with us are well aware of the orchestra’s strong social commitment,” says Bastian about his orchestra, which consists of 60 professional musicians from 17 nations. Himself a former bass trombonist, his position as conductor fills him with excitement: “You must convince people of whatever you’re passionate about. You cannot do that with a grand political speech; you have be more direct, with gestures, facial expressions and your very presence.”

Even as a teenager, Bastian dreamed of conducting, with music emanating from every room in his family home. All six of the Bastian siblings became professional musicians and two of them played in the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra. Joseph was also a bass trombonist there for many years and attended conducting masterclasses on the side. In 2016, he stepped in at short notice for star conductor Robin Ticciati, who was taken ill, and was internationally celebrated for his conducting debut.

Among the ideas he wants to pursue further is Deaf performances at symphonic concerts. The realisation that there is a desire to experience music in the Deaf scene has enriched his view of the world, says Bastian. His eyes light up: “At our concerts with sign language, people almost spent more time looking at the Deaf performer than at the conductor.”

The beauty of variety
The conductor wants to play an active role in shaping the future of orchestral music. To this end, he is also bringing female composers, such as the African-American Florence Price, out of the shadows. Price is among many women who were successful during their lifetime only to have their works deliberately “erased” from music catalogues after their deaths, says Bastian. In terms of the music, he doesn’t want to forever cook up old recipes, but rather “season them differently and more interestingly”. Throughout the world, nouvelle cuisine is still lacking in orchestral music.

The baton as a wooden spoon? Bastian likes to experiment with different ingredients, because “the more colourful and diverse the people at concerts are, the better and more exuberant the atmosphere”. He wants people with disabilities, both visible and invisible, to no longer stand out as being unusual, but to be a natural sight both on stage and in the audience. And if, contrary to classical music etiquette, that means a round of applause between movements, the chief conductor thinks that’s great.