The Mülheimer Zupforchester (MZO) was founded in 1980 and is today one of Germany’s premier plucked orchestras. The MZO regularly excels in national and international festivals and competitions. Since the founding of the ‚Deutscher Orchesterwettbewerb’, the MZO has continuously won the first prize on the national level.
Next to regular concerts within the culture programme of Mülheim an der Ruhr, the MZO performs with internationally renowned artists at numerous events and concerts at home and abroad. Concerttours have led the orchestra to Italy, France, Poland, Israel, inter alia.
Their repertoire includes authentic and multifaceted interpretations of works from renaissance to modernity, with wanderings into international folklore as well as popular music and film scores.
Through placings of commissioned compositions for plucked string orchestra the MZO promotes contemporary music, while also aiminig to rediscover forgotten musical gems.
Seven CDs have now been published, which represent the wide range of the orchestra.

Dominik Hackner, born in 1968 in Bad Neuenahr, has been active in the plucked orchestra scene ever since his youth. Encounters and seminars with Marcel Wengler, Detlef Tewes, and Masayuki Kawaguchi influenced his musical understanding and expression.
Today, he is one of the most successful and requested conductors in his field. Orchestras under his conduct have won numerous prizes and awards in national an international contests.
From 2001 to 2010 he has been musical director of the Bavarian Plucked Orchestra, since 1990 he conducts the Plucked Orchestra Heimersheim/Ahr.
He has been closely linked to the Mülheimer Zupforchester since 1993, in the position of musical director since 2002.
His works of art are documented in numerous radio and CD productions. Next to initiating new compositions for plucked orchestra, his work focuses on performances of forgotten older works of the repertoire for plucked orchestra from the 20th century. Ever since his youth Dominik Hackner has been composing for plucked instruments. Today his works are performed worldwide.
Hackner is vice president of the Bund Deutscher Zupfmusiker e.V. (BDZ).

From March 29th to April 03rd 2015 we go on a concert tour to our twin town Darlington/GB. There we deliver insight to our repertoire and perform the musical reading "The Magic Mandolin". Concerts will be given in Darlington and Sunderland (twin town to Essen).

The Mülheimer Zupforchester tour is supported by the German Foreign Office and the Goethe Institut.

Find more information about our concerts via the following links:

Darlington, Carmel College, March 30th, 7.30 pm

Sunderland, April 1st, 7.15 pm

Darlington, Dolphin Centre, April 2nd, 7.30 pm

Read the articles about our concerts in Darlington and Sunderland:

The Northern Echo, April 2nd 2015

Read the reports about our visit to Darlington:

Tom Nutt (Darlington Town Twinning)

Sunderland City Council - Mayor's blog May 2015