Sometime in 2024 Peter Evans, our principal conductor and musical adviser, approached the committee with the idea of an exchange visit with an orchestra in Germany. Peter had stayed in touch with Carmen, a former piano student from Germany, who had come for lessons whilst studying at Edinburgh University. Peter and Carmen came up with the germ of an idea that quickly gained support of the committees and enthusiastic members of both orchestras. Following a visit to Edinburgh by the core team from Freiburg it was agreed that Meadows would travel to Freiburg in October 2025 with the return visit to Edinburgh taking place in May 2026. Peter conducted the two performances in Germany playing to great acclaim before good audiences in Martinskirche Müllheim and Bürgerhaus Freiburg. Rhea Fitzgerald reprised her wonderful account of the Mendelssohn violin concerto, and the dancer Matthew Hawkins performed in Peter Nelson’s Dance Variations. Whilst the wind section was essentially all Meadows players, many of us in the strings enjoyed sharing a desk with players from Kammerphilharmonie Freiburg (KPF) especially for the larger forces required for Dvorak’s 8th Symphony. Our Freiburg hosts were very welcoming, hosting most of the orchestra and facilitating some memorable outings and lovely social occasions.

Following our memorable trip to Freiburg we are working hard to make the visit of KPF to Scotland equally enjoyable and rewarding.

Kammerphilharmonie Freiburg’s programme is Mozart Magic Flute Overture, Ravel Le Tombeau de Couperin and Beethoven Symphony No. 4 and you can hear them at these venues.

Thursday 29th May 2026  7pm Holy Trinity Church St Andrews

Friday 29th May 2026  7pm  St Cuthbert’s, Edinburgh;

Saturday 30th May 2026 7pm  St Mary’s Haddington;