The University of Cologne Chamber Orchestra offers particularly dedicated and talented instrumentalists the opportunity to rehearse and perform orchestral works on a project basis. The program features works such as Aaron Copland’s Clarinet Concerto and the world premiere of the commissioned composition *Farbenlehre* by Friedrich Jaecker, which requires familiarity with the playing techniques of contemporary music.

The Chamber Orchestra has performed at events such as the Limburg Orchestra Festival and in guest concerts at the University of Bonn, and it also provides the musical accompaniment for the annual reception hosted by the Rector of the University of Cologne. In 2010, the ensemble collaborated with American conductor Neil Varon in a conducting workshop, during which members of the orchestra also took turns at the podium. The chamber orchestra regularly performs
alongside the chamber choir, for example, at the anniversary service of Cologne’s Trinity Church, during the Feast of St. Ursula, and at the Collegium Musicum’s traditional Christmas concert, featuring works such as Bach’s and Mendelssohn’s *Magnificat* or Bach’s *Christmas Oratorio*.
In August 2015, the ensemble traveled to Italy to perform Mozart’s Requiem as part of the cultural program for the Expo in Milan and subsequently record it on CD.
Most members also play in the symphony orchestra.