20 years of the Jewish Chamber Orchestra Munich
Sometime long ago in 2005, a young Munich conductor gathered musician friends, talented acquaintances, and music students and staged a production of Philip Glass's chamber opera The Fall of the House of Usher in what was then the Theater im Haus der Kunst. The Jewish Chamber Orchestra Munich was born.
Daniel Grossmann embarked on a bold project back then. His idea: to convey knowledge about Jewish culture through classical music in various forms and formats. This is precisely what he and his orchestra have been doing for 20 years now – in conversation or film concerts, at opera performances, or in self-developed projects that combine theater and concerts, with synagogue music and excursions into neighboring genres such as jazz or pop, for (pre-)school children or adult audiences – the JCOM tells stories in which listeners can learn about Judaism in various ways.
The first years
Transforming an idea into an established orchestra doesn't happen overnight. And especially in Munich's well-established music scene, it wasn't easy to establish another professional orchestra in the early years.
Perhaps Daniel Grossmann and his mother, founding director Dr. Julia Grossmann, approached their venture naively at the time, but that was precisely why they were successful: In the early years, they found a broad base of support for their project – private sponsors, advocates, cooperative partners at cultural institutions in Munich and beyond, and ultimately also in politics. They were able to arouse curiosity and convince audiences with the idea of a thematic orchestra that would represent a new, innovative contemporary Jewish cultural voice.
The audience was won over quickly: the concerts, which mastered the balancing act between musical enjoyment and information content in a variety of ways, thrilled the concertgoers, who quickly became fans of the orchestra.
The orchestra's original name, Orchester Jakobsplatz München , reflects an idea from its founding: at that time, the Ohel Jakob Synagogue was under construction in Munich, and the Jewish Community Center at Jakobsplatz was also about to open. The orchestra's name was intended to create a connection to this new place for Jewish life and Jewish culture in Munich.
Developments and changes
The JCOM has now developed into a professional orchestra: Four cultural managers work in the orchestra office, and a dramaturge develops projects together with Daniel Grossmann. Through the increasingly close collaboration with the Munich Kammerspiele, the JCOM has a 'home venue' in Munich where we feel completely at home. Various project grants enable larger projects that can be seen throughout Germany and internationally. The number of concerts was higher than ever last season, and we'll be traveling extensively this season as well.
The most visible change was certainly the orchestra's renaming in 2018: the orchestra had outgrown the name Orchester Jakobsplatz München , precisely because outside of Munich, hardly anyone associated the term 'Jakobsplatz' with contemporary Jewish culture. A new name was needed that also more clearly communicated the orchestra's central theme. There were two reasons for choosing an English name: firstly, the name Jewish Chamber Orchestra Munich resonates internationally. Secondly, Daniel Grossmann wanted the English term to evoke associations more commonly associated with American Jewish culture – because the term 'Jewish' always carries a connotation in German.
Highlights from 20 years
The JCOM has now completed almost 300 public appearances – we will soon dedicate a separate blog post to the highlights.
Photos from 20 years of JCOM can be found in our current season booklet, the ‘Heftn’ – download it here .
We would be happy to send you the issue by mail. Just write to us at info@jcom.de.
Music as a Bridge: The Significance of the JCOM
The Jewish Chamber Orchestra Munich is far more than an orchestra. It sees itself as a contemporary Jewish voice, exploring unusual paths with ever-new alliances and formats to bring contemporary Jewish culture to life and make it audible, tangible, and visible to everyone.
'Jewish – Today – For All' is the motto of our logo. And we view all JCOM projects under these slogans: all concerts are based on a Jewish theme, an aspect of Jewish culture, a Jewish artist we want to bring to the stage. All our programs have something to do with the here and now. Our concerts are thought-provoking experiences that reach beyond the concert hall. And they are 'for all' in two senses of the word: JCOM musicians come from over 20 countries and belong to a wide variety of religions (or none at all). We play for a diverse audience. And: You don't need to bring anything to our concerts.
The anniversary concert: Music from five millennia
On May 15, 2025, the JCOM 20th anniversary concert will take place at Munich's Cuvilliés Theater. Together with two long-standing artistic partners, soprano Talia Or and violinist Tassilo Probst, we present a journey through Jewish musical history. The program includes works by Max Bruch, Felix Mendelssohn, Jacques Offenbach, Ilse Weber, Kurt Weill, Mieczyslaw Weinberg, and Paul Ben-Haim, among others.
Celebrate with us: Tickets and further information about the anniversary concert can be found here .
Thanks to all supporters
The Jewish Chamber Orchestra Munich would not be what it is today without the support of numerous individuals and institutions. A heartfelt thank you goes out to all the musicians, audiences, sponsors, and partners who have accompanied the orchestra on its journey. This anniversary is also their success!