Program

For Preschools & Schools

  1. pre-school children

  2. Grades 1 to 4

  3. Grades 5 to 13

  4. Grades 1 to 13

  5. Accompanying offers

When we leave the stage of the Philharmonic Hall, we seek direct contact: in daycare centers and schools, in community and youth centers, in music schools, and in facilities for senior citizens. Wherever people live, learn, and meet, music becomes a shared experience.

This season, 16 kindergartens are on our itinerary, and we are playing programs for families and large kindergarten groups at Engelshof in Porz and at the Rheinische Musikschule. Our musicians also visit school classes throughout Cologne, introducing musical instruments, sparking curiosity, and answering questions—approachable and on equal footing.

Offers for pre-school children

Mobile Concerts

Kindergartens

Various ensembles from the Gürzenich Orchestra visit Cologne daycare centers and play exciting and entertaining concerts where children can join in, learn about instruments, and, of course, listen to classical music.
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One night, curious space explorer Stella Funkelstein discovers something incredible through her telescope: the stars are beginning to wobble—and suddenly four of them even tumble from the sky!

One of them is getting closer and closer, you can already hear it, and it lands right at Stella's feet. What is it? Stella's spirit of discovery is awakened. With a pitiful squeak, the star looks at her with wide eyes and tells her about a galactic mishap. How lucky that it landed at the feet of the space explorer!

Stella Funkelstein not only understands the language of star music, she can also fly a rocket. With the help of the audience and a lively rocket song, her crew launches into space. Will they find the three other stars there and will all four of them sparkle together in the end?

3 – 2 – 1 ... and off into space!

A musical space adventure featuring works by Jules Massenet, Jean Françaix, Béla Bartók, Johannes Brahms, Philip Glass, Franz Schubert, and Maddalena Lombardini Sirmen.

Dylan Naylor violin
Toshiko Tamayo violin
Felix Weischedel viola
Georg Heimbach cello
Sabine Cremer space explorer Stella Funkelstein

Age
3-6 years

Dates
Wed, Apr 28, 2027 9:15 and 11 a.m.
Fri, April 30, 2027 9:15 and 11 a.m.
Mon, May 10, 2027 9:15 and 11 a.m.
Tue, May 11, 2027 9:15 and 11 a.m.

Duration approx. 40 min | No intermission

Registration
Participation in this offer is free of charge. If you are interested, please register using the online form. After the registration deadline, a lottery will be held among the applications.

Registration deadline
January 15, 2027 (applies to all events starting April 1, 2027)

Registration possible from 18 May 2026

Community Centers

We're coming to you – to Ehrenfeld and Porz! Daycare groups are cordially invited to experience our popular traveling concerts for the first time in their own neighborhoods. Register with your daycare group. After the respective registration deadline, daycare centers will be selected at random.

One night, curious space explorer Stella Funkelstein discovers something incredible through her telescope: the stars are beginning to wobble—and suddenly four of them even tumble from the sky!

One of them is getting closer and closer, you can already hear it, and it lands right at Stella's feet. What is it? Stella's spirit of discovery is awakened. With a pitiful squeak, the star looks at her with wide eyes and tells her about a galactic mishap. How lucky that it landed at the feet of the space explorer!

Stella Funkelstein not only understands the language of star music, she can also fly a rocket. With the help of the audience and a lively rocket song, her crew launches into space. Will they find the three other stars there and will all four of them sparkle together in the end?

3 – 2 – 1 ... and off into space!

A musical space adventure featuring works by Jules Massenet, Jean Françaix, Béla Bartók, Johannes Brahms, Philip Glass, Franz Schubert, and Maddalena Lombardini Sirmen.

Dylan Naylor violin
Toshiko Tamayo violin
Felix Weischedel viola
Georg Heimbach cello
Sabine Cremer space explorer Stella Funkelstein

Age
3-6 years old

Dates
Mon, May 3, 2027 9:30 and 11 a.m.
Tue, May 4, 2027 9:30 and 11 a.m.

Bürgerzentrum Engelshof e.V. Cologne Porz
Duration approx. 40 min | No intermission

Registration
Participation in this event is free of charge. If you are interested, please register using the online form. After the registration deadline, a lottery will be held among the applicants.

Registration deadline
January 15, 2027 (applies to all events from April 1, 2027)

Registration possible from 18 May 2026

Little Ones’ Rehearsal

Rehearsal Visit for Preschoolers at the Philharmonie

There’s so much to discover in an orchestra: How many musicians are on stage? Which instruments can you hear? And what does a concert hall actually look like from the inside?Preschool children can explore these questions during the Zwergenprobe ("Little Giants' Rehearsal"). Before experiencing the orchestra in rehearsal for about half an hour, the children will receive an age-appropriate introduction from orchestra musicians who will present their instruments.

Age
Preschool children aged 5–6

Dates
Fri, Oct. 23, 2026
Fri, Nov. 6, 2026
Fri, Dez. 04, 2026
Fri, Apr. 23, 2027
Fri, Jun. 4, 2027
Fri, Jun. 18, 2027

Duration 9:15–11 a.m.
Cologne Philharmonic Hall

Registration
Participation in this program is free of charge. If you are interested, please register using the online form. After the registration deadline, a lottery will be held among the applicants.

Registration deadline
September 15, 2026 (applies to all events up to and including March 31, 2027)
January 15, 2027 (applies to all events from April 1, 2027)

Registration possible from 18 May 2026

Offers for grades 1 to 4

School Concerts

Das Geheimnis der Weihnachtswichtel

A story by Sven Nordqvist, adapted by Tristan Berger

Up in the hayloft of an old farmhouse live some very special little helpers: a family of elves. There is the 427-year-old grandfather with his long white beard, the elf parents, and their three curious children, Pulka, Polka, and Pilka.

It has snowed outside and dusk is slowly falling. Inside the house, it is warm and cozy. The smell of Christmas is everywhere. People are looking forward to their presents and the delicious festive meal – and the elves can hardly wait either. According to an old tradition, a large bowl of rice porridge is placed outside their door as a thank you for their good deeds over the past year. But the elf mother is very worried: with all the fuss about Santa Claus and presents, people might forget to thank the elves this year. And if the elf father doesn't get his eagerly awaited rice pudding, he can become very angry and unpleasant. To prevent this, the elf mother hatches a secret plan with the older elf children.

Just as elves do good deeds in secret, we too want to help. Together with our young visitors and in cooperation with Tafel e. V., we support people who are less fortunate. This makes our concert not only a musical experience, but also a sign of compassion and solidarity.

A concert for grades 1–3 with music by Peter I. Tchaikovsky, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, Edvard Grieg, Camille Saint-Saëns, and Armas Järnefelt.

With this concert, we support Tafel Köln e. V.

Age
Grades 1-3

Concerts
Mon, Dec. 14, 2026 9:30 and 11:30 a.m.
Tue, Dec. 15, 2026 9:30 and 11:30 a.m.

Cologne Philharmonic Hall
Duration approx. 50 min | No intermission

Cast
Vilmantas Kaliunas Conductor
Nico-Alexander Wilhelm Narrator
Gürzenich Orchestra Cologne

Ticket purchase
€5 per student | One free accompanying ticket per 10 students
To order tickets, please fill out the order form. Your ticket requests will be processed by the Cologne Theater Ticket Service.

Tickets can be ordered from 18 May 2026

Singing with class!

ELLEN oder ES WIRD GUT

A musical fairy tale by Anno Schreier (composition) and Alexander Jansen (text) based on motifs from the story “The Fairy” by Anne Frank (world premiere)

Over a period of three months, 300 second-year students work with vocal coaches to prepare the piece “ELLEN oder ES WIRD GUT” (premiere), which will be performed at the end of the project in two concerts with the Gürzenich Orchestra Cologne.

KölnMusik in cooperation with the Gürzenich Orchestra Cologne

Age
Grades 1-4

Concert
Thu, July 1, 2027, 12 p.m.

Cologne Philharmonic Hall
Duration approx. 60 min | No intermission

Cast
N.N. Conductor
Gürzenich Orchestra Cologne

Ticket purchase
Participation in this event is free of charge. To attend the elementary school concert, registration is required at koelner-philharmonie.de/de/education starting July 1, 2026. Interested teachers can also find more detailed information about participating in the project here.

Registration possible from 1st July 2026 

443 Hertz–Klangspaziergang

Klangspaziergang

Ever wanted to create your own concert, perform on stage, or even be a presenter? All of this is possible for students as part of the “443 Hertz – Klangspaziergang” series – in direct collaboration with the professionals of the Gürzenich Orchestra. The focus of this project is hands-on engagement with everything that makes sound. Students get to know selected musical works and develop their own personal connection to the music. Guided by instructors, chamber ensembles will work with a grade 3 class to prepare a concert for the entire school. Workshops and the final concert will take place at the school.

Age
The offer is aimed at entire third-grade classes with a maximum of four classes in total.

Project period
Approximately eight workshops at the school between January and March 2027
Final concert at the school
Mon, March 8, 2027 10 a.m.

Registration
Participation in this offer is free of charge. If you are interested, please register using the online form. After the registration deadline, a lottery will be held among the applications.

Registration deadline
September 15, 2026 (applies to all events up to and including March 31, 2027)

Registration possible from 18 May 2026

Offers for grades 5 to 13

School concerts

Heroines!

What makes a heroine? Does she need extraordinary powers—or is the courage to stand up for her own values enough? Is she a ruler, pop icon, superheroine, or simply someone who shows moral courage in everyday life?
Together with schoolchildren from Cologne, presenter Tessniem Kadiri embarks on an exciting search for clues. Stories are told of courageous women from history and mythology. At the same time, the focus is on modern heroines and musical role models – from Ethel Smyth to Billie Eilish.

In addition to historical and pop cultural perspectives, the focus is also on personal stories: Who are our heroines today? And which characters from books, films, or real life inspire us?

A concert full of strong personalities—human, musical, and historical—that encourages courage and invites further reflection.

Age
Grades 5-8

Concerts
Tue, Mar 2, 2027 9:30 and 11:30 a.m.

Cologne Philharmonic Hall
Duration approx. 50 min | No intermission

Cast
Juya Shin Conductor
Tessniem Kadiri Moderator
Cologne school students Co-moderators
Gürzenich Orchestra Cologne

Ticket purchase
€5 per student | One free accompanying ticket per 10 students
To order tickets, please fill out the order form. Your ticket requests will be processed by the Cologne Theater Ticket Service.

Tickets can be ordered from 18 May 2026

Workshops for school classes

In preparation for selected symphony concerts, school classes have the opportunity to prepare specifically for their concert visit to the Philharmonie. Musicians and music educators from the Gürzenich Orchestra give students a creative insight into the works in this workshop.

No prior knowledge of music is necessary.

Gustav Mahler Symphony No. 6 in A minor »Tragic«

Dates:
Mon, Nov. 30, 2026, 10 a.m.–1 p.m.
Wed, Dec. 2, 2026, 10 a.m.–1 p.m.
Thu, Dec. 3, 2026, 10 a.m.–1 p.m.

Matthias Pintscher New work for orchestra
Paul Hindemith Concerto for violin and orchestra
Béla Bartók Concerto for orchestra Sz. 116

Dates
Thu, May 20, 2027, 10 a.m.–1 p.m.
Fri, May 21, 2027, 10 a.m.–1 p.m.

Ludwig van Beethoven Overture to Coriolan, Op. 62
Ludwig van Beethoven Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 3 in C minor, Op. 37
Robert Schumann Symphony No. 1 in B flat major, Op. 38 “Spring Symphony”

Dates
Thu, June 10, 2027, 10 a.m.–1 p.m.
Mon, June 14, 2027, 10 a.m.–1 p.m.

Place
Orchestra Rehearsal Center of the Cologne City Stages

Registration
Participation in this offer is free of charge, provided that you purchase a ticket for the respective symphony concert. If you are interested, please register using the online form. 
After the registration deadline, a lottery will be held among the applications.
Tickets can only be booked through the Cologne Stages ticket service and are subject to availability.

gruppen(at)buehnen.koeln 
(0221) 221 28400

Registration deadline
September 15, 2026 (applies to all events up to and including March 31, 2027)
January 15, 2027 (applies to all events from April 1, 2027)

Registration possible from 18 May 2026

Opera Crash Course

Rehearsal Visit and Workshop

School classes have the opportunity to discover two major cultural institutions from a very personal perspective. The Cologne Opera and the Gürzenich Orchestra offer a special behind-the-scenes experience.

During a morning visit, students first get to know the orchestra: they attend an exclusive instrument presentation and an introduction to the music. Seated next to their favorite instrument, they then experience how the orchestra rehearses for the upcoming opera production.
In the second part of the visit, the work is explored from a different angle: in a scenic workshop, students learn all about the opera's story and get to try out their own theatrical skills.

A cooperation between the Gürzenich Orchestra Cologne and the Cologne Opera.

Age
Grades 8–13

Dates
Thu, Oct. 29, 2026 »Hofmanns Erzählung«
Fri, Oct. 30, 2026 «Hofmanns Erzählung«
Tue, Dec. 1, 2026 »Die Zauberflöte«
Fri, April 16, 2027 »Macbeth«
Tue, May 11, 2027 »Madama Butterfly«
Wed, May 12, 2027 »Madama Butterfly«

Duration: 8:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. | 2 intermissions
Orchestra Rehearsal Center of the Cologne City Theaters

Registration
Participation in this offer is free of charge. If you are interested, please register using the online form. After the registration deadline, a lottery will be held among the applications.

Tickets for the optional opera visit can be purchased for €10 per person from the Cologne Theaters. The possible dates can be found on the registration form.

gruppen(at)buehnen.koeln
0221 221 28400

Registration deadline
September 15, 2026 (applies to all events up to and including March 31, 2027)
January 15, 2027 (applies to all events from April 1, 2027)

Registration possible from 18 May 2026

Offers for grades 1 to 13

Rehearsal time for school classes

The special rehearsal visit – lively, vivid, and up close

A unique experience at the Kölner Philharmonie for school classes of all grades and types: the rehearsal session. During this exclusive, half-hour rehearsal, students gain an exciting insight into an orchestral work and witness live the rehearsal discussions between conductor and musicians. The WDR Ensembles, the Gürzenich Orchestra Cologne, and the Kölner Philharmonie have put together suitable offerings for all grade levels.

Teaching materials for pre- and/or post-visit preparation are available for download.

The rehearsal sessions for school classes are made possible by the Gürzenich Orchestra Cologne in cooperation with KölnMusik and WDR.

Dates
dates to be announced

Duration: 30 minutes, no intermission
Location: Kölner Philharmonie

For safety reasons, we kindly ask you to refrain from bringing large bags and backpacks.

Registration
Participation in this program is free of charge. If you are interested, please register via the online form. After the registration deadline, participants will be selected by lottery.

Registration possible from 18 May 2026

Symphony Concerts for School Classes

School classes can book tickets for all symphony concerts at a price of €5 per student.
Tickets are available exclusively through the ticket service of Bühnen Köln and subject to availability.

Excluded are the concerts Summertime, Lichterglanz, Neujahrsconcert, Passionsconcert, Aus tiefster Seele, as well as chamber and family concerts.

Ticket Service
You can reach the ticket service of Bühnen Köln via email at: gruppen(at)buehnen.koeln or by phone: +49 (0)221 221 28400.

Tickets can be ordered from 18 May 2026

Accompanying offers to the school concerts

The musicians of the Gürzenich Orchestra attach particular importance to personal contact and closeness to young audiences. In preparation for each school concert, they visit school classes, introduce their instruments and work with the classes to prepare the music for the concert. The pupils can ask all their questions about the concert and everyday life in the orchestra and maybe even try out the instruments themselves.
We can do two runs per school, one at 10 a.m. and a second run for a parallel class at 11 a.m.

Dates
School concert ‘The Secret of the Christmas Elves’ for grades 1-3
Mon 23 Nov 26 10 a.m. and 11 a.m.
Thu 25 Nov 26 10 a.m. and 11 a.m.
Fri 27 Nov 26 10 a.m. and 11 a.m.

School concert ‘Heroines!’ for grades 5-8
Thu 11 Feb 27 10 a.m. and 11 a.m.
Fri 12 February 27 10 a.m. and 11 a.m.
Mon 15 February 27 10 a.m. and 11 a.m.

Singing with your class! ‘ELLEN or IT WILL BE OKAY’ for grades 1-4
Mon 7 June 27 10 a.m. and 11 a.m.
Wed 9 June 27 10 a.m. and 11 a.m.
Thu 10 June 27 10 a.m. and 11 a.m.

Duration: 45 minutes each
In Cologne schools

Registration
Participation in this offer is free of charge, but tickets must be purchased for the respective school concert. If you are interested, please register using the online form. After the registration deadline, a draw will be held among the applications.

Registration deadline
15 September 2026 (applies to all events up to and including 31 March 2027)
15 January 2027 (applies to all events from 1 April 2027)

Registration possible from 18 May 2026

Six weeks before the school concerts, teaching materials to help prepare for the concert visit will be available to download free of charge. In addition, we offer teachers a short workshop in which we work through the materials together in a practical way. The lesson content can be tried out and adapted to the needs of your own class.

Dates
School concert ‘The Secret of the Christmas Elves’ for grades 1-3
Fri 6 November 26, 4-6 p.m.

School concert ‘Heroines!’ for grades 5-8
Fri 22 January 27, 4-6 p.m.

Singing with your class! ‘ELLEN or IT WILL BE OKAY’ for grades 1-4
Fri 21 May 27, 4-6 p.m.

Registration
Participation in this programme is free of charge. If you are interested, please register using the online form. 

Registration possible from 18 May 2026

To receive the teaching materials, please contact us at the following email address: musikvermittlung(at)guerzenich-orchester.de