"Breath of glamor" blows from the Capitol to China
26.03.2026 – The acclaimed concert at the Capitol Classic Lounge (CCL) on 15 March 2026 was full of "Swing & Symphony". In order to prepare such a program perfectly, the Capitol Symphony Orchestra uses the good infrastructure of the event venue, which belongs to Stadtwerke Offenbach's Geschäftsfeld Veranstaltungen, to rehearse there before the performances. The Capitol Symphonie Orchester GmbH is also based at the Capitol. The "Friends of the Capitol Theater Offenbach e.V." association uses the premises once a year for a meet & greet with the musicians. This time there was special news: The orchestra is embarking on its first concert tour to China on April 24.
The orchestra's success story is closely linked to the main building on Goethestrasse, which has also given it its name since 2018: With the support of Gemeinnützige Baugesellschaft GBO, whose subsidiary is Capitol Theater Offenbach GmbH, and Capitol Managing Director Birgit von Hellborn, a renowned independent symphony orchestra found its new home here in 2005. The first CCL season began just one year later. Since its inception in 2006/07, the Stadtwerke Group, along with other sponsors, has been a major supporter of the top-class concert series. The Circle of Friends joined in 2019: Almost 150 citizens are now involved in the association. In addition to the CCL, it also supports other productions at the Capitol and played a key role in making the visualization of the former Offenbach synagogue possible.
Musical ambassador for Offenbach
The meet & greet was attended by around 50 members of the association as well as 25 musicians from the orchestra. "The fact that they take the time to do this after a long day of rehearsals shows how much they appreciate the support," said Birgit von Hellborn. The internationally renowned conductor and pianist Wayne Marshall was also on hand: he has been coming to Offenbach for a CCL event almost every year since 2019. At "Swing & Symphony", the Brit achieved the feat of conducting and playing the solo part of Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" on the piano at the same time on the Capitol stage. "I always find it a great pleasure to come to this unique venue in Offenbach," emphasized Marshall, who was greeted with much applause in the Max-Dienemann-Saal. "The friends of the Capitol Theater have almost all been fans from the very beginning and have had a subscription to the Classic Lounge for many years," reported von Hellborn. Concertmaster Piotr Niewiadomski was the first orchestra member to be welcomed as a member of the Friends. He has also succeeded in getting the trip to China in spring 2026 off the ground.
"The Capitol Symphony Orchestra has enriched the cultural life of our city for many years - so I am all the more delighted that it is now traveling to China as a musical ambassador," said Lord Mayor Dr. Felix Schwenke. "The tour is a wonderful opportunity to present our city in the Far East and to forge international connections."
Eight appearances planned in cities with millions of inhabitants
"Musically, our orchestra radiates exactly what the Capitol Theater is all about: emotion, high quality and a touch of glamor. This is exactly what is now wafting all the way to China," said a delighted Dr. Ralph Philipp Ziegler, Head of the City's Office for Cultural Management and Artistic Director of the Capitol Symphony Orchestra (CSO). The "magnificent building" of the Stadtwerke Group with its festive ambience provides a strong sense of togetherness as a home base, said Ziegler: "This is not a matter of course for an orchestra that does not work together every day." With the dedicated, helpful Capitol team and the growing circle of friends, something like "a big family" has developed in which everyone feels at home.
Concertmaster Niewiadomski is convinced that the trip to China will further strengthen the feeling of solidarity. This goal was also the main motivation for Niewiadomski and Ziegler to initiate the tour through a renowned Viennese agency. Rehearsals for the concert tour will take place on April 22/23 under the dome of the former Offenbach synagogue. A day later, the journey begins for the 50 or so orchestra members and some of their companions. Eight performances are planned between now and May 10 in cities with over a million inhabitants such as Wuhan and Hangzhou. "The concert halls are architecturally spectacular and have outstanding acoustics," reported Ziegler.
"We are definitely taking a piece of Offenbach with us on the trip," announced Ziegler. This starts with the program, a somewhat more classical version than at the 2025 Festival of Lights. As Wayne Marshall is unable to attend, Anna Skryleva is going on tour with the Capitol Symphony Orchestra (CSO): the conductor made her debut at La Scala in Milan in autumn 2025 and is currently conducting a new production at the famous Sydney Opera House. In addition to the Circle of Friends, the CSO was able to secure the string manufacturer Pirastro as a sponsor: The traditional company on Senefelderstrasse equips all CSO string instruments with strings. "This means that a piece of Offenbach's sound goes out into the world from the Capitol Theater."