Since its foundation in 1893, the Munich Philharmonic has defined the sound of and established benchmarks in the performance of music by many of the greatest composers, especially of the Austro-German repertoire. The orchestra premiered Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 “Symphony of a Thousand” as well as his Symphony No. 4 and The Song of the Earth. It achieved global fame under Music Director Sergiu Celibidache, who headed the ensemble for almost twenty years, leaving his imprint on the unique sound of the orchestra: the legendary Bruckner concerts he conducted made a major contribution to the orchestra’s international standing. James Levine became Chief Conductor in 1999, followed by Christian Thielemann, Lorin Maazel and Valery Gergiev. In February 2023, the Munich Philharmonic appointed Lahav Shani as its principal conductor.