The Essener Philharmoniker, or Essen Philharmonic, is among the top symphonic ensembles in Germany's industrial northwest. The orchestra has played a major part in German musical history, performing the world premieres of several works that remain in the central classical repertory today.

The Essener Philharmoniker grew gradually out of an amateur ensemble called the Bergmusikkorps that dated back to the early 19th century. That group grew from eight to 24 members and became the Essener Instrumentalverein, or Essen Musical Association, in 1840. The orchestra was renamed the Helfersche Kapelle (after its conductor, Hermann Helfer) and then the Essener Kapelle in 1863. In 1899, many of that group's players were accepted into the new Städtische Orchester Essen, or Essen Municipal Orchestra, which moved in 1902 into a handsome new Saalbau Essen. That structure was destroyed in World War II but has been rebuilt twice since then, most recently in 2004, and remains the orchestra's home. In 1904, Richard Strauss conducted his Symphonia domestica in the new hall. Two years later, Gustav Mahler conducted the orchestra in the world premiere of his Symphony No. 6 in A minor. Other significant premieres followed, including that of Max Reger's Böcklin Suite in 1913. Major conductors of the Philharmoniker have included Max Fiedler (1915-1933), Gustav König (1943-1975), Heinz Wallberg (1975-1991), and Stefan Soltesz (1997-2013). The orchestra's conductor since 2013 has been Tomás Netopil. Some of the world's most famous conductors have mounted the podium as guests, including Otto Klemperer, Roger Norrington, and Bernard Haitink. In addition to its regular-season concerts in Essen, the orchestra has toured, accompanying opera at the Semperoper in Dresden and performing at major German summer festivals.

After many years when it rarely recorded, the Essener Philharmoniker has had a vigorous recording program in the 2010s and 2020s, mostly on the prestigious Oehms Classics label. Netopil conducted the orchestra in a 2018 recording of Mahler's Symphony No. 9, and in Weber's opera Der Freischütz two years later. Since 1999, the Essener Philharmoniker has maintained an Orchestral Academy devoted to the training, often on scholarship, of promising young musicians. ~ James Manheim, Rovi