Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin

The Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin […] is one of the three fine international class orchestras located in the capital city of the reunified German Federal Republic and has a history growing out of the separation of the city and nation. The American authorities established a station called RIAS (Radio in the American Sector), which established the RIAS-Symphony Orchestra in 1946. It soon became known in particular for its performances of modern classics. Its most important early conductor was the talented Hungarian Ferenc Fricsay, who did much towards establishing the post-war reputation of his countryman Béla Bartók through his performances and recordings with the Orchestra. […] The American Lorin Maazel, […] continued this tradition.

West Berlin was given a separate government in the 1950s and, to reflect that, the RIAS Orchestra eventually changed its name to Berlin-Radio Symphony Orchestra. Many members of the orchestra happened to live in East Berlin and could no longer travel to their jobs on the other side of the Berlin Wall; the converse was true of West Berlin residents who worked for the two opera houses and the orchestra in East Berlin […]. In effect all these ensembles and organizations swapped much of their membership.

The Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra continued its position as the second orchestra of West Berlin with music director Riccardo Chailly (1982-1988) […]. After Chailly, Vladimir Ashkenazy became music director (1989-1999).

Following the collapse of East Germany, destruction of the Wall, and the resulting reunification, the Berlin RSO renamed itself the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin. […]

The Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester continues to play a mix of standard repertoire, 20th century masterworks with an emphasis on German and Austrian classics, and the most recent orchestral repertory. It gives concerts in the Philharmonie, the Gendarmenmarkt Concert House, and the major broadcasting companies' large concert studios. In the new century, the DSO Berlin's chief conductor and artistic director position has been held by Kent Nagano (2000-2006) and Ingo Metzmacher (2007-2010). AllMusic