»It is not only an honour to make music with you, but also a great pleasure!« said Robert Stolz (1880–1975), one of the many renowned guest conductors with whom the orchestra has had the privilege of working throughout its history.
The Musikalische Komödie orchestra can look back on more than a hundred years of history. It is the second oldest orchestra in the city of Leipzig after the Gewandhaus Orchestra. Under its principal conductors, the orchestra developed into an internationally renowned specialist ensemble for the stylistically appropriate musical performance of operettas of all kinds, musicals and comic operas. Roland Seiffarth conducted at the theatre from 1967, was musical director and principal conductor from 1978 to 2007, and was then appointed honorary conductor of the orchestra. Stefan Diederich was principal conductor of the Musikalische Komödie from 2007 to 2015, followed by Stefan Klingele from 2016 to 2022. Michael Nündel has held this position since 2024. Regular guest performances in Germany, Austria and Switzerland have taken the orchestra to venues including the philharmonic halls in Cologne and Essen, the open-air concert at Berlin's Gendarmenmarkt, the Konzerthaus Dortmund, the Graf Zeppelin House in Friedrichshafen, the Coesfeld Concert Theatre and Aschaffenburg. The orchestra fulfils an important role in promoting young artists through its collaboration with young conductors at the annual operetta workshop organised by the German Music Council's »Forum Dirigieren« of the »Deutscher Musikrat« and through regular collaborations with the »Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy« University of Music and Theatre. In addition, the orchestra is part of the Orchestras of Change initiative (Orchester des Wandels), and orchestra members regularly perform in special educational formats and chamber music constellations as part of the »Nachhall« concerts in cooperation with the Museum der bildenden Künste (Museum of fine arts) in Leipzig.
