The Gürzenich Orchestra is the orchestra of the city of Cologne. It sees itself not only as a prestigious symphony and opera orchestra but also as an orchestra for all the people of Cologne. It was one of the first traditional orchestras in Germany to have its own music education department.

Initially, the offerings were aimed at children and young people, but with the goal of being for everyone, the program grew, and today it is so diverse that it appeals to all age groups, from kindergarden to old age. In addition to classical school concerts in the philharmonic with a wide-ranging program that includes teacher workshops and musician visits in classrooms, there are concerts designed specifically for kindergartens, which are performed there. Chamber ensembles perform in senior homes as part of the "Unterwegskonzerte" (On-the-go Concerts), and in the popular family concerts, families experience entertaining musical stories. In the Family Subscription Concerts, the programs of the symphonic concerts are made accessible to children in workshops. Additionally, there is now childcare for selected concerts in cooperation with the Museum Service of Cologne. There are also offerings for teenagers, such as workshops that take place in Cologne youth centers.

In 2019, the Citizen Orchestra was established, offering amateur musicians in Cologne the opportunity to rehearse a concert program together with the Gürzenich Orchestra and perform it under the direction of François-Xavier Roth in the Philharmonie. In 2022, the Citizen Choir was added, which has already participated in several season-opening concerts of the Gürzenich Orchestra. The outstanding offerings of "Ohrenauf!" were awarded the "Junge Ohren Preis" (Young Ears Prize) in 2017, the largest competition for music education in the German-speaking world, whose network serves as an impetus for the development of professional musical and music-educational practices in tune with society.

Under the motto "Trommelwirbel" ("Drum Roll"), the opening concerts will take place on Friday, March 8, 2024, with two school concerts and Sunday, March 10, with two family concerts. The percussionist Vivi Vassileva will perform as a soloist. Under the direction of Ustina Dubitsky, they will perform excerpts from “Tan Dun's Tears of Nature” and Gregor A. Mayrhofer's “Recycling Concerto”, for which the composer assembled the instruments, among others, from a scrapyard.

Other highlights include the performance of Bernhard Gander's *Melting Pot* on June 15, with Cologne-based artists (including rappers Retrogott and MC Rene, DJ Hulk Hodn, Poetry Slammer Florian Cieslik, and the dance collective nutrospektif). In advance, workshops with the soloists on the topic of Hip-Hop for young people will take place. There is also a collaboration with the “Hänneschen Theater” for a joint production, which will be performed in community centers in various neighborhoods in the fall. Until the end of the year, small surprises called "Ohrenauf! Bonbons" will be added before the symphonic concerts with François-Xavier Roth. The grand finale will be the school and family concerts with François-Xavier Roth titled “Es war einmal..” ("Once Upon a Time...") with the French animator Grégoire Point on December 15. We are excited that this event will also be accompanied by a themed tram by the Cologne public transport company, which will begin its first ride in the spring.