T14. WDR FUNKHAUSORCHESTER/WAYNE/ELIONOR "Hollywood"

With a unique joy of playing and at the highest level, the WDR Funkhausorchester offers entertaining music in all facets. Its versatility is the program, whether film music, musicals, game sounds, or children's concerts, whether symphonic jazz, comedy, chanson, or electro, whether tango, operetta, opera, or favorite classical pieces: the WDR Funkhaus Orchestra creates inspiring musical moments.

The ensemble constantly opens new perspectives on the world of orchestral music. Its concerts tell stories and connect with creative and lively concepts, none is like the other.

With passion and passion, the WDR Funkhausorchester reaches all age groups and provides enthusiasm in concert halls and with its digital fan base.

The WDR Funkhausorchester regularly collaborates with international artists: Till Brönner, Jonas Kaufmann, Max Mutzke, Ute Lemper, Bastian Pastewka, Eckart von Hirschhausen, Carolin Kebekus and Bodo Wartke.

In this way, the ensemble creates connections with very different genres such as film, literature, fine arts, cabaret, or the world of computer games.

Since this season, the orchestra has been conducted by David Brophy, who will continue to develop the WDR Funkhausorchester in its quality and versatility as chief conductor.

In addition to regular performances in Cologne and North Rhine-Westphalia, the WDR Funkhausorchester also performs outdoors in well-known concert halls such as the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, the Alte Oper Frankfurt, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, at festivals such as the Rheingau Music Festival and on tours.

With its concert broadcasts on radio, television and streaming, creative music videos and radio playback and soundtrack productions, the WDR Funkhausorchester reaches a wide and colorful audience on a variety of channels.

Born in 1996 in Barcelona, Elionor Martínez completed her higher studies at the Conservatori del Liceu with the teacher Dolors Aldea, awarded a scholarship by the Ferrer-Salat Foundation.

She graduated from the Master's in Musical Interpretation (summa cum laude) at the Hochschule für Musik in Basel with the professor Marcel Boone, under the patronage of the Salvat Foundation, and received the award for the best final master recital of the 2021/22 course.

She is awarded the Salvat Bach Scholarship (2016) and with four special awards at the Josep Palet de Martorell Singing Competition (Barcelona, 2019).

Her repertoire includes works such as Handel's Messiah, Bach's Passions and Magnificat, Mozart's Requiem and the Great Mass in C minor, Fauré's Requiem and Brahms' German Requiem.

In the operatic field, she has performed Clorinda in Rossini's La Cenerentola and Fiordiligi in Mozart's Così fan tutte.

She forms a Lied duo with pianist Olivia Zaugg; together they have given several concerts in Switzerland and Spain and are part of the Lied the Future program of the Franz Schubert Association.

She sings regularly under the baton of Jordi Savall and has worked with conductors such as Ton Koopman, Andrés Gabetta, Hermes Helfricht and Salvador Brotons.

She has performed in halls such as the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, the Wigmore Hall in London, the Philharmonie in Paris and the Palau de la Música Catalana, as well as at festivals such as the Bachfest Leipzig and the Salzburger Festspiele.

Wayne Marshall, British orchestra director, organist and pianist, is world-renowned for his musicality and versatility both on the podium and at the keyboard.

He is a celebrated interpreter of the music of George Gershwin, Leonard Bernstein and other American composers of the 20th century.

He has worked regularly with the Tonkünstler Orchestra of Vienna, the Czech, Rotterdam, Oslo and Strasbourg Philharmonic Orchestras, the RSO Vienna, the Orchestre de Paris, the NDR BigBand; with the BBC choir on several occasions; and has performed as soloist, conductor and television commentator at the BBC Proms.

As an organ recitalist, he has an exceptionally varied repertoire and performs worldwide.

During 2024, he performed at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, at the Philharmonie in Essen, the Cathedral in Brussels and at the Royal Albert Hall in London for the celebrations of the 150th anniversary of the organist Henry Willis.

In June 2025, he will offer organ recitals at the Royal Festival Hall and at the Cathedral in Norwich.

In October 2025, Wayne Marshall will offer an organ recital in Dudelange, followed by an extensive tour of organ recitals in China.

He will also perform and conduct at the Lucerne Festival to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the KKL hall organ.

Among his distinctions include an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Bournemouth (2004), a Royal College of Music Scholarship (2010), the Golden Jubilee Award of the Government of Barbados (2016).

In 2021, Wayne was awarded an OBE (Officer of the British Empire) by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth.

In March 2024, Wayne was appointed Honorary Doctor by the University of Coventry.

Wayne Marshall is proud to be an ambassador of the London Music Fund, a charitable organization whose mission is to transfer to disadvantaged communities the access of children to high-quality musical education.