The orchestra traces its roots to 1570, when
Joachim II Hector, Elector of Brandenburg established the rules for an orchestra at his court which had been constituted, at an unknown date. In 1701, the affiliation of the
Electors of Brandenburg to the position of
King of Prussia led to the description of the orchestra as '''' ("Royal Prussian Court Orchestra"), which consisted of about 30 musicians. The orchestra became affiliated with the Royal Court Opera, established in 1742 by
Frederick the Great. Noted musicians associated with the orchestra have included
Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach,
Franz Benda, and
Johann Joachim Quantz. In January 2017, the orchestra and Barenboim performed the complete symphonies of
Anton Bruckner at
Carnegie Hall, the first live Bruckner symphony cycle ever performed in the United States. In July 2017, the orchestra was the first non-UK orchestra to perform the two completed symphonies of
Edward Elgar at the Proms in a single season. Barenboim and the orchestra have made recordings for the Teldec, Deutsche Grammophon, and Decca labels. In January 2023, Barenboim resigned as
Generalmusikdirektor (GMD) of the orchestra for health reasons. In September 2023, the Berlin Senate and the
Berlin State Opera announced the appointment of
Christian Thielemann as its next GMD, effective 1 September 2024, an appointment which encompasses the post of GMD of the Staatskapelle Berlin. ==Leadership==