Founded in 1950 under Christoph Stepp, followed in 1956 by Hans Stadlmair, the Munich Chamber Orchestra has, since 1995, been under the artistic direction of Christoph Poppen, balancing its classical programmes with attention to contemporary composers. Awards to the orchestra include the Music Prize of the city of Munich, the European Culture Award, the Award of the German Music Publishers and the Cannes International Classical Award in January 2002, as well as the Award of the Christoph and Stephan Kaske Foundation in July 2002. At the heart of its activity is a subscription concert series in the Munich Herkulessaal, with tours to major musical centres in Europe and America, as well as to Ukraine, Japan, and Central Asia. The orchestra has collaborated with many leading conductors and soloists, appeared in important international festivals and released a number of acclaimed recordings.