Die Kölner Akademie - Damals und Heute is a German baroque and classical music orchestra founded in 1996 and based in Cologne, Germany. It was founded in 1996 by the American conductor Michael Alexander Willens, who studied at the Juilliard School in New York and still leads the orchestra.Fanfare Joel Flegler 2009 Volume 32 No. 6 - Page 36 "Willens lives in Cologne, and his period-instrument orchestra, Die Kolner Akademie Damals und Heute, had been hired to perform at van Ommeren's retirement party. ...Founded in 1996 and based in Cologne, it is made up of young musicians who represent the next generation of period-instrument performance"
Selected discography For PENTATONE:
J.S. Bach: Lutheran Masses BWV 233-236, PENTATONE, 2026
For Raumklang: Johann Valentin Meder: St. Matthew Passion, Kennedy, Merkel, Türk, Hilz, Kölner Akademie, Michael Alexander Willens, Raumklang
For Carus Records Johann Sebastian Bach: St Mark Passion, Dominique Horwitz (speaker), ensemble amarcord, Kölner Akademie, Michael Alexander Willens, Carus 2009
For BIS Classics: Mozart: Piano concertos No.9 K 271, No.12 K 414, Ronald Brautigam, fortepiano, Kölner Akademie, Michael Alexander Willens, BIS Mozart: Piano concertos N.24 K 495, No.25 K 503, Ronald Brautigam, fortepiano, Kölner Akademie, Michael Alexander Willens, BIS Mozart: Piano concertos N.17 K 453, No.26 K 537, Ronald Brautigam, fortepiano, Kölner Akademie, Michael Alexander Willens, BIS For ARS Produktion: Bernhard Crusell: Clarinet concertos, Eric Hoeprich, clarinet, Kölner Akademie, Michael Alexander Willens, Forgotten Treasures Vol. 1, ARS-Produktion Franz Danzi: Bassoon concertos, Jane Gower, bassoon Kölner Akademie, Michael Alexander Willens, Forgotten Treasures Vol. 2, ARS-Produktion Viennese Double bass concertos, David Sinclair, double bass, Kölner Akademie, Michael Alexander Willens, Forgotten Treasures Vol. 3, ARS-Produktion Johann Wilhelm Wilms: Symphony and Concertos, Paolo Giacometti, Hammerklavier, Martin Sandhoff, flute, Kölner Akademie, Michael Alexander Willens, Forgotten Treasures Vol. 4, ARS-Produktion Bernhard Romberg: Symphonies, Kölner Akademie, Michael Alexander Willens Forgotten Treasures Vol. 5, ARS-Produktion Chant d’ Automne, French Horn music, Ulrich Hübner, natural and valvehorn, Kölner Akademie, Michael Alexander Willens, Forgotten Treasures Vol. 6, ARS-Produktion Johann Christian Fischer and Carl Stamitz Oboe concertos, Michael Niesemann, oboe, Kölner Akademie, Michael Alexander Willens, Forgotten Treasures Vol. 7, ARS-Produktion Sigismund Ritter von Neukomm: Early works, Marianne Beate Kielland (mezzo soprano); Riko Fukuda, Hammerklavier, Kölner Akademie, Michael Alexander Willens, Forgotten Treasures Vol. 8, ARS-Produktion Virtuoso Trumpet Music from the 19th Century, Robert Vanryne, keyed trumpet, Kölner Akademie, Michael Alexander Willens, Forgotten Treasures Vol. 9, ARS-Produktion 19th Century Harp concertos, Masumi Nagasawa, single pedal harp, Kölner Akademie, Michael Alexander Willens, Forgotten Treasures Vol. 10, ARS-Produktion For CPO Records: Ferdinand Ries: Overtures, violin concerto and concerto for 2 horns, Anton Steck, Violin, Teunis van der Zwaart, Erwin Wieringa, natural horn, Kölner Akademie, Michael Alexander Willens, CPO Johann Wenzel Kalliwoda: Symphony No 2, Symphony No 4, Concert overture in f, Kölner Akademie, Michael Alexander Willens, CPO Anton Eberl: Piano concertos, Paolo Giacometti, Riko Fukuda, Hammerklavier, Kölner Akademie, Michael Alexander Willens, CPO Sigismund Ritter von Neukomm: Three Orchestral Fantasies, Sinfonie heroique, Kölner Akademie, Michael Alexander Willens, CPO Johann Wenzel Kalliwoda: Concert Overtures and Concertinos for Violin and Orchestra Ariadne Dastalakis, violin, Kölner Akademie, Michael Alexander Willens, CPO Johann Mattheson: Der Liebreiche und Geduldige David: Oratorio for Soloists, Choir and Orchestra, Kennedy, Eittinger, Ciolek, Hilz, Spogis, Kölner Akademie, Michael Alexander Willens, CPO Johann Mattheson: Das Größte Kind: Christmas Oratorio for Soloists, Choir and Orchestra, Rydén, Gramß, Schmid, Türk, Friedrich, Dahlmann, Kölner Akademie, Michael Alexander Willens, CPO Johann Mattheson: Die heilsame Geburt, Christmas Oratorio for Soloists, Choir and Orchestra: Kennedy, Crookes, Eitinger, Post, MacLeod, Kölner Akademie, Michael Alexander Willens, CPO Francesco Durante: Neapolitan music for Christmas, Mameli, Eittinger, Post, MacLeod, Kölner Akademie, Michael Alexander Willens, CPO Francesco Durante: Neapolitan music for Christmas II, Monica Piccinini, Christina Kühne, Ursula Eittinger, Alberto ter Doest, Kölner Akademie, Michael Alexander Willens, CPO Carl Heinrich Graun: Osteroratorium. Nina Koufochristou, Dagmar Saskova, Jan Kobow, Andreas Wolf, Kölner Akademie CPO Telemann: Lukas-Passion (1728) Marcus Ullmann, Wolfgang Klose, Christian Hilz, Raimonds Spogis. CPO forthcoming Händel: Chandos Anthems, Backus, Krasiak, Ciolek, Hilz, Kölner Akademie, Michael Alexander Willens, CPO
References