Siemens Arts Program

STROM Festival brings contemporary electronic music into the iconic Berlin Philharmonie, creating a dialogue between electronic sound and orchestral tradition. Over two days, the festival presents performances that explore new forms of listening, collaboration, and artistic experimentation.

A highlight of this year’s edition was a world premiere by composer and conductor Oscar Jockel, former Siemens Conductors Scholarship winner, created in collaboration with Fennesz and performed with musicians from the Karajan Academy of the Berlin Philharmonic.

The Siemens Hallé International Conductors Competition is an international conducting competition for young talents, jointly organized by the Siemens Arts Program and the Hallé Orchestra. Its focus is on fostering a new generation of conductors and providing them with the opportunity to present themselves on an international stage.

The competition is part of the long-standing partnership between Siemens and the Hallé Orchestra in Manchester. From several hundred applications submitted worldwide, a select group of candidates is chosen to work with the orchestra over multiple rounds and present themselves to an international jury.

The Siemens Türkiye Opera Contest is a national vocal competition for young opera talents in Turkey. Opera is a relatively young art form there and was long considered a niche—this competition was the first national platform of its kind.

For two decades, the Siemens Arts Program and Siemens Türkiye have jointly supported emerging singers, offering them the opportunity to perform before a live audience and an international jury.

For over ten years, the Siemens Arts Program has enabled young musicians to perform at the legendary Carnegie Hall in New York City. The concert series offers outstanding emerging talents the opportunity to present themselves on one of the most prestigious stages in classical music.

The project is based on a longstanding partnership between Siemens and Carnegie Hall. In addition to their cultural collaboration, the two institutions are also connected through a technological partnership in areas such as building automation, security systems, and energy supply.

The International ARD Music Competition is one of the world’s most prestigious competitions for classical music. Since 2017, the Siemens Arts Program has supported the competition as a main sponsor, committed to accompanying outstanding young artists on their path to an international career.

Beyond supporting the competition itself, the Siemens Arts Program connects prizewinners with its global network of partners—including institutions such as the Bavarian State Opera, the Salzburg Festival, and Carnegie Hall in New York City. This provides young talents with additional opportunities to perform on renowned stages.

Together with the Karajan Academy of the Berlin Philharmonic, the Siemens Arts Program awards the Siemens Conductors Scholarship—a conducting fellowship for outstanding emerging conductors.

Since 2020, the two-year scholarship has offered training within the environment of the Berlin Philharmonic. The fellow assists Chief Conductor Kirill Petrenko, contributes to academy projects, and conducts a portrait concert with the academy orchestra at the Chamber Music Hall of the Berlin Philharmonie.

With Chief Hijangua, Namibia’s first opera was performed in Europe for the first time in 2023. The European premiere took place on September 15, 2023, at the Großer Sendesaal of the Haus des Rundfunks in Berlin, bringing together artists from Namibia, Germany, and South Africa.

Composed by Namibian composer Eslon Vakomboka Hindundu, the opera tells a story rooted in Namibia’s colonial past, combining traditional narratives with a contemporary musical approach. It is performed in Otjiherero and German, with a libretto by Nikolaus Frei.

To mark the opening of the Reclaiming Europe conference on October 13, 2024, in Gdańsk, the Siemens Arts Program curated the musical program for the public opening event. At the cultural site 100cznia, the Kyiv Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Stephan Frucht, performed Franz Schubert’s Symphony No. 8 in C major, “The Great.”

The three-day conference was organized by the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, the Young Academy, and additional partners. Scholars and representatives of civil society from across Europe discussed democracy, freedom, and new perspectives on Central and Eastern Europe—particularly in light of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.

Siemens Cultural Empowerment for New Executives is a development program by the Siemens Arts Program that enables leaders and high potentials to experience art and culture as a source of inspiration for modern management. Its aim is to foster creative thinking and open up new perspectives for complex leadership challenges.

In collaboration with artists, curators, and cultural institutions, participants gain insights into artistic processes and actively engage themselves. Workshops and seminars across disciplines such as music, performing arts, visual arts, new media, architecture, and literature make creative methods tangible.

Culture is a key element of our corporate culture. With Culture for Colleagues, the Siemens Arts Program—together with leading cultural institutions such as the Jewish Museum Berlin, C/O Berlin, and the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation—provides exclusive access to art and culture for our employees.

With its lunch concerts, the Siemens Arts Program regularly enriches everyday working life at Siemens AG with musical experiences. These concerts invite employees to experience the diversity of classical and contemporary music, often in unique formats where conference rooms or corporate foyers become temporary concert stages. Young musicians frequently perform, including prizewinners of the International ARD Music Competition such as percussionist Kai Strobel and violinist Kristīne Balanas.

Lunch concerts create space for connection and exchange, demonstrating how music can strengthen community and open new perspectives in everyday work.

With the support of art experts from Siemens’ cultural partners, the unique photography initiative Art for (w)all was launched for employees at the new Siemens headquarters. Colleagues in Munich captured what matters most to them in their daily lives and what motivates them.

Following this, teams engaged in a creative exchange with the Siemens Arts Program. More than 45 teams participated, submitting over 400 photographic works. An expert jury selected the best pieces, which have been displayed in the offices of the new Siemens headquarters since May 2017.