| Staatskapelle Dresden | |
|---|---|
| Orchestra | |
 | |
| Founded | 1548 |
| Location | Dresden, Germany |
| Concert hall | Semperoper |
| Principal conductor | Daniele Gatti |
| Website | staatskapelle-dresden.de |
The Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden, or Saxon State Orchestra Dresden, is one of the oldest orchestras in the world, founded in 1548. It took its present name in 1992, having been known simply as Staatskapelle Dresden during the communist DDR period; a still earlier name was Kurfürstlich-Sächsische und Königlich-Polnische Kapelle, or Electoral Saxon and Royal Polish Orchestra. Created by order of Maurice, Elector of Saxony, it is today a constituent body of the Semper Opera House, along with two choruses and a ballet troupe, where it plays both in the pit for opera and on a platform for its own concert series. It tours regularly and indeed enjoys a strong reputation in symphonic music around the world. Dresden is the capital of Saxony, one of Germany's sixteen states.