One of the world's most famous orchestras, the Berliner Philharmoniker, is based at the tent-like Philharmonie, designed by Hans Scharoun in the 1950s and built in the 1960s. In 2018, Sir Simon Rattle, who had been chief conductor since 2002, passed on the baton to the Russia-born Kirill Petrenko. Tickets can be booked online.
From September to June, free lunchtime concerts take place in the foyer of the Philharmonie at 1pm on Tuesdays. The adjacent Kammermusiksaal hosts chamber-music concerts.