The Speyer Cathedral Orchestra is the newest of the cathedral’s ensembles, and was brought into being in 2009 under the direction of Domkapellmeister Markus Melchiori. The intention behind the foundation of this body is to bring together qualified and professional musicians from the region, and to harness their talents in a capable orchestra. This provides the Speyer Cathedral with an instrumental counterpart for its choir, and allows for further versatility in performing orchestral masses and concerts. This has made possible relatively recent performances of Robert Schumann’s “Missa sacra”, the orchestral psalms by Mendelssohn, Luigi Cherubini’s “Requiem in C-Minor” and other significant classical and romantic works. The frequency of rehearsals and the size of the orchestra are always dependent on the project at hand.