Christian Thielemann
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Christian Thielemann (born 1 April 1959) is a German conductor. He is
Generalmusikdirektor A music director, musical director or director of music is a person responsible for the musical aspects of a performance, production, or organization. This would include the artistic director and usually chief conductor of an orchestra or concert ...
of the Berlin State Opera (''Staatsoper Unter den Linden'') and chief conductor of the Staatskapelle Berlin.


Biography and career

Born in West Berlin, Thielemann studied viola and piano there and took private lessons in composition and conducting before becoming '' répétiteur'' at 19 at the Deutsche Oper Berlin with Heinrich Hollreiser and working as Herbert von Karajan's assistant. He worked at a number of smaller German theatres, including the Musiktheater im Revier in Gelsenkirchen; in Karlsruhe, Hanover, at Düsseldorf's Deutsche Oper am Rhein as First '' Kapellmeister''; and in Nürnberg as ''
Generalmusikdirektor A music director, musical director or director of music is a person responsible for the musical aspects of a performance, production, or organization. This would include the artistic director and usually chief conductor of an orchestra or concert ...
'' before returning to the Deutsche Oper Berlin in 1991 to conduct Wagner's '' Lohengrin''. During this time, he also assisted
Daniel Barenboim Daniel Moses Barenboim (; born 15 November 1942) is an Argentines, Argentine-Israeli classical pianist and conductor based in Berlin, who also has Spain, Spanish and State of Palestine, Palestinian citizenship. From 1992 until January 2023, Bare ...
at the Bayreuth Festival. Thielemann made his US debut during the 1991–1992 season in a new production of Strauss's '' Elektra'' in San Francisco. Subsequent engagements at the
Metropolitan Opera The Metropolitan Opera is an American opera company based in New York City, currently resident at the Metropolitan Opera House (Lincoln Center), Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center, situated on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Referred ...
in New York City followed. In 1997, he became
Generalmusikdirektor A music director, musical director or director of music is a person responsible for the musical aspects of a performance, production, or organization. This would include the artistic director and usually chief conductor of an orchestra or concert ...
of the Deutsche Oper Berlin. A report in 2000 stated that Thielemann was to leave the Deutsche Oper in 2001 over artistic conflicts with the then-incoming artistic director Udo Zimmermann. Thielemann remained with the company until 2004, when he resigned over conflicts regarding Berlin city funding between the Deutsche Oper and the Staatsoper Unter den Linden. Thielemann became principal conductor and music director of the Munich Philharmonic in September 2004. He stepped down from his Munich post in 2011 after disputes with orchestra management over final approval of selection of guest conductors and programs for the orchestra. In October 2009, the Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden announced the appointment of Thielemann as its next chief conductor, effective with the 2012/13 season. His contract with Dresden was through 2019. In November 2017, the Staatskapelle Dresden announced the extension of Thielemann's contract as chief conductor through 31 July 2024. In 2020, Thielemann was appointed honorary professor at the Carl Maria von Weber Academy of Music in Dresden. In May 2021, Barbara Klepsch, the Culture Minister of Saxony, announced that Thielemann would conclude his tenure with the Staatskapelle Dresden at the close of his contract at the end of July 2024. Thielemann was artistic director of the Salzburg Easter Festival from 2013 to 2022. In January 2023, he stepped in as an emergency substitute conductor for Daniel Barenboim in a new production of Wagner's ''Der Ring des Nibelungen'' at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden. In September 2023, the Berlin Senate and the Staatsoper Unter den Linden announced the appointment of Thielemann as its next general music director, effective 1 September 2024. Thielemann has been a regular conductor at the Bayreuth Festival, following his début in 2000 with Wagner's '' Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg'', and at the
Salzburg Festival The Salzburg Festival () is a prominent festival of music and drama established in 1920. It is held each summer, for five weeks starting in late July, in Salzburg, Austria, the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Mozart's operas are a focus of ...
. With the decision in September 2008 of the Richard Wagner Festival Foundation to appoint Katharina Wagner and Eva Wagner-Pasquier to succeed Wolfgang Wagner as directors of the Bayreuth Festival, Thielemann was named musical advisor. In June 2015, the Bayreuth Festival formally announced Thielemann's appointment as its music director. With his conducting of '' Lohengrin'' in 2018, Thielemann became the second conductor, after Felix Mottl, to conduct the ten canonical operas by Wagner that are regularly performed at the Bayreuth Festival. Thielemann stood down from the Bayreuth Festival post in 2020. In 2003, Thielemann was awarded the
Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany The Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (, or , BVO) is the highest state decoration, federal decoration of the Federal Republic of Germany. It may be awarded for any field of endeavor. It was created by the first List of president ...
. In October 2011, he received honorary membership of the Royal Academy of Music in London. In 2015, Thielemann won the Richard Wagner Award ''(Richard-Wagner-Preis)'' of Leipzig. He served in the Humanitas Programme as visiting professor in Opera Studies at Oxford University in January 2016. In 2019, he made his first conducting appearance in the New Year's Concert with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, and returned there to conduct the 2024 concert.


Recordings

For
Sony Music Sony Music Entertainment (SME), commonly known as Sony Music, is an American multinational music company owned by Japanese conglomerate Sony Group Corporation. It is the recording division of Sony Music Group, with the other half being the ...
*
Ludwig van Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. He is one of the most revered figures in the history of Western music; his works rank among the most performed of the classical music repertoire ...
, Beethoven 9 Symphonies, Vienna Philharmonic, 2012 * Anton Bruckner, Bruckner 11 Symphonies, Vienna Philharmonic, 2023 *
Robert Schumann Robert Schumann (; ; 8 June 181029 July 1856) was a German composer, pianist, and music critic of the early Romantic music, Romantic era. He composed in all the main musical genres of the time, writing for solo piano, voice and piano, chamber ...
, Schumann 4 Symphonies, Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden, 2018 * New Year’s Concert 2019, Vienna Philharmonic * New Year’s Concert 2024, Vienna Philharmonic For Profil * Anton Bruckner, '' Symphony No. 8'', Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden, October 2010 For Opus Arte *
Richard Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, essayist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most o ...
, ''
Der Ring des Nibelungen (''The Ring of the Nibelung''), WWV 86, is a cycle of four German-language epic music dramas composed by Richard Wagner. The works are based loosely on characters from Germanic heroic legend, namely Norse legendary sagas and the . The compo ...
'' with Michelle Breedt, Albert Dohmen, Stephen Gould, Hans-Peter König, Linda Watson and Eva-Maria Westbroek, Bayreuth Festival orchestra, recorded live during the 2008 Festival, November 2009 For Brilliant Classics *
Arnold Schoenberg Arnold Schoenberg or Schönberg (13 September 187413 July 1951) was an Austrian and American composer, music theorist, teacher and writer. He was among the first Modernism (music), modernists who transformed the practice of harmony in 20th-centu ...
,
Richard Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, essayist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most o ...
, '' Pelleas und Melisande'' and '' Siegfried Idyll'', Orchestra of the Deutsche Oper Berlin, November 2009 For Decca *
Richard Strauss Richard Georg Strauss (; ; 11 June 1864 – 8 September 1949) was a German composer and conductor best known for his Tone poems (Strauss), tone poems and List of operas by Richard Strauss, operas. Considered a leading composer of the late Roman ...
, '' Der Rosenkavalier'' DVD with
Renée Fleming Renée Lynn Fleming (born February 14, 1959) is an American soprano and actress, known for performances in opera, concerts, recordings, theater, film, and at major public occasions. A recipient of the National Medal of Arts, Fleming has been nom ...
, Sophie Koch, Diana Damrau, Franz Hawlata and Jonas Kaufmann, Munich Philharmonic, October 2009 For
Deutsche Grammophon Deutsche Grammophon (; DGG) is a German classical music record label that was the precursor of the corporation PolyGram. Headquartered in Berlin Friedrichshain, it is now part of Universal Music Group (UMG) since its merger with the UMG family of ...
* ''Der kleine Hörsaal, Dirigieren mit Christian Thielemann'', July 2007 *
Ludwig van Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. He is one of the most revered figures in the history of Western music; his works rank among the most performed of the classical music repertoire ...
, Overture "Egmont" and
Johannes Brahms Johannes Brahms (; ; 7 May 1833 – 3 April 1897) was a German composer, virtuoso pianist, and conductor of the mid-Romantic period (music), Romantic period. His music is noted for its rhythmic vitality and freer treatment of dissonance, oft ...
, Symphony No.1, Munich Philharmonic, April 2007 *
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 1756 – 5 December 1791) was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition and proficiency from an early age ...
, Requiem, Munich Philharmonic and Choir of the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, November 2006 *Richard Wagner, '' Parsifal'', Choir and Orchestra of the
Vienna State Opera The Vienna State Opera (, ) is a historic opera house and opera company based in Vienna, Austria. The 1,709-seat Renaissance Revival venue was the first major building on the Vienna Ring Road. It was built from 1861 to 1869 following plans by ...
, April 2006 * Anton Bruckner, Symphony No.5, Munich Philharmonic, March 2005 * Heinrich Marschner, Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, Otto Nicolai,
Carl Maria von Weber Carl Maria Friedrich Ernst von Weber (5 June 1826) was a German composer, conductor, virtuoso pianist, guitarist, and Music criticism, critic in the early Romantic music, Romantic period. Best known for List of operas by Carl Maria von Weber, h ...
, Richard Wagner, Overtures, Vienna Philharmonic, October 2004 *Richard Wagner, ''
Tristan und Isolde ''Tristan und Isolde'' (''Tristan and Isolde''), WWV 90, is a music drama in three acts by Richard Wagner set to a German libretto by the composer, loosely based on the medieval 12th-century romance ''Tristan and Iseult'' by Gottfried von Stras ...
'', Orchestra of the
Vienna State Opera The Vienna State Opera (, ) is a historic opera house and opera company based in Vienna, Austria. The 1,709-seat Renaissance Revival venue was the first major building on the Vienna Ring Road. It was built from 1861 to 1869 following plans by ...
, May 2004 *Richard Strauss, '' Ein Heldenleben'' and Symphonic Fantasy of '' Die Frau ohne Schatten'', Vienna Philharmonic, August 2003 * Albert Lortzing, Richard Strauss,
Carl Maria von Weber Carl Maria Friedrich Ernst von Weber (5 June 1826) was a German composer, conductor, virtuoso pianist, guitarist, and Music criticism, critic in the early Romantic music, Romantic period. Best known for List of operas by Carl Maria von Weber, h ...
, Richard Wagner, Deutsche Opernarien with Thomas Quasthoff and the Orchestra of the Deutsche Oper Berlin, April 2002 *
Robert Schumann Robert Schumann (; ; 8 June 181029 July 1856) was a German composer, pianist, and music critic of the early Romantic music, Romantic era. He composed in all the main musical genres of the time, writing for solo piano, voice and piano, chamber ...
, Symphonies No.1 and No.4,
Philharmonia Orchestra The Philharmonia Orchestra is a British orchestra based in London. It was founded in 1945 by Walter Legge, a classical music record producer for EMI Classics, EMI. Among the conductors who worked with the orchestra in its early years were Rich ...
, 2001 *Richard Strauss, '' Arabella'' with Kiri Te Kanawa and the Orchestra and Choir of the
Metropolitan Opera The Metropolitan Opera is an American opera company based in New York City, currently resident at the Metropolitan Opera House (Lincoln Center), Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center, situated on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Referred ...
, March 2001 *Richard Strauss, '' Eine Alpensinfonie'' and Suite of '' Der Rosenkavalier'', Vienna Philharmonic, March 2001 *
Arnold Schoenberg Arnold Schoenberg or Schönberg (13 September 187413 July 1951) was an Austrian and American composer, music theorist, teacher and writer. He was among the first Modernism (music), modernists who transformed the practice of harmony in 20th-centu ...
, '' Pelleas und Melisande'' and Richard Wagner, '' Siegfried Idyll'', June 1999 * Carl Orff, '' Carmina Burana'', Choir and Orchestra of the Deutsche Oper Berlin, May 1999 *Robert Schumann, Symphony No.3 "Rheinische", Overture "Genoveva", Op. 81, Overture, Scherzo and Finale, Op. 52, Philharmonia Orchestra, 1999 *Richard Wagner, Orchestra Music ('' Lohengrin'', '' Parsifal'', ''
Tristan und Isolde ''Tristan und Isolde'' (''Tristan and Isolde''), WWV 90, is a music drama in three acts by Richard Wagner set to a German libretto by the composer, loosely based on the medieval 12th-century romance ''Tristan and Iseult'' by Gottfried von Stras ...
''), Philadelphia Orchestra, February 1998 *Robert Schumann, Symphony No.2, Overture ''Manfred'', Concert for 4 Horns, Op. 86, Philharmonia Orchestra, September 1997 *
Ludwig van Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. He is one of the most revered figures in the history of Western music; his works rank among the most performed of the classical music repertoire ...
, Funeral Cantata on the Death of the Emperor Joseph II, Robert Schumann, Konzertstück, Op. 86, for 4 Horns and Orchestra, Hans Pfitzner, '' Palestrina'' (Preludes to acts 1 and 2), 1997 * Hans Pfitzner, Music from '' Palestrina''; ''Das Käthchen von Heilbronn''; Richard Strauss, ''Guntram'' (prelude), ''Capriccio'' (prelude), ''Feuersnot'' (love scene), Orchestra of the Deutsche Oper Berlin, 1996 For EMI Classics *Richard Wagner and Richard Strauss, Arias by René Kollo, Orchestra of the Deutsche Oper Berlin, 1992 For Unitel Classica *
Richard Strauss Richard Georg Strauss (; ; 11 June 1864 – 8 September 1949) was a German composer and conductor best known for his Tone poems (Strauss), tone poems and List of operas by Richard Strauss, operas. Considered a leading composer of the late Roman ...
, Arabella. Live recording of Salzburg Easter Festival 2014. DVD and Blu-ray with
Renée Fleming Renée Lynn Fleming (born February 14, 1959) is an American soprano and actress, known for performances in opera, concerts, recordings, theater, film, and at major public occasions. A recipient of the National Medal of Arts, Fleming has been nom ...
, Thomas Hampson, Hanna-Elisabeth Müller, Daniel Behle. Stage director: Florentine Klepper, Sächsischer Staatsopernchor and Staatskapelle Dresden. Unitel Classica, September 2014.


TV and film productions


Productions about Thielemann

* ''Christian Thielemann'', documentary film, Germany, 2012, directed by Mathias Siebert, produced by Bremedia Produktion, Radio Bremen, MDR, in the serial ''Deutschland, deine Künstler''. * ''Christian Thielemann – Romantischer Querkopf'', documentary film by Felix Schmidt, 2007, produced by FTS Media and Unitel, coproduced by Classica * ''Through the Night with Christoph Schlingensief and Christian Thielemann'' ('' Durch die Nacht mit ...''), documentary film, Germany, 2002, directed by: Edda Baumann-von Broen and Daniel Finkernagel, produced by: avanti media, ZDF and
arte Arte (, , ; ' ('), sometimes stylised in lowercase or uppercase in its logo) is a European Union, European public service Television channel, channel dedicated to culture. It is made up of three separate companies: the Strasbourg-based Europea ...
.


Productions with Thielemann

* Frederick the Great Remix ''(Der Große Friedrich Remix – Musik um den Preußenkönig)'', directed by Friederike Schlumbom, Oktober 18, 2012,
Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg (; "Berlin-Brandenburg Broadcasting"), commonly shortened to RBB (; stylized as rbb), is an institution under public law (national broadcaster) for the Germany, German states of Berlin and Brandenburg, based in Berlin and Potsdam. RBB was estab ...
* Discovering Beethoven ''(Beethoven entdecken)'', documentary TV serial, Germany, Austria, 2011, directed by Christoph Engel and Anca-Monica Pandelea, produced by: Unitel Classica, ORF, ZDF,
3sat 3sat (, ''Dreisat'') is a free-to-air German-language public service television channel. It is a generalist channel with a cultural focus and is jointly operated by public broadcasters from Germany ( ZDF, ARD), Austria ( ORF) and Switzerlan ...

Joachim Kaiser and Christian Thielemann talk about Beethoven's nine symphonies.


Concert records on TV

* The Vienna Philharmonic in Beijing ''(Die Wiener Philharmoniker in Beijing)''. National Centre for the Performing Arts of Beijing, recording of 3 November 2013,
3sat 3sat (, ''Dreisat'') is a free-to-air German-language public service television channel. It is a generalist channel with a cultural focus and is jointly operated by public broadcasters from Germany ( ZDF, ARD), Austria ( ORF) and Switzerlan ...
* Wagner Birthday Concert: Thielemann conducts the Staatskapelle Dresden ''(Wagner-Geburtstagskonzert: Thielemann dirigiert die Sächsische Staatskapelle)'', recording of Mai 21, 2013, directed by: Michael Beyer, ZDF * Thielemann conducts Strauß ''(Thielemann dirigiert Strauß)'', Christian Thielemann and the Vienna Philharmonic,
Salzburg Festival The Salzburg Festival () is a prominent festival of music and drama established in 1920. It is held each summer, for five weeks starting in late July, in Salzburg, Austria, the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Mozart's operas are a focus of ...
2011, Great Festival Hall, Salzburg, directed by Michael Beyer, 3sat * Summer Night Music with Christian Thielemann ''(Sommernachtsmusik mit Christian Thielemann)'', Christian Thielemann conducts the Munich Philharmonic, Herrenchiemsee Palace, 31 August 2010, directed by Henning Kasten, ZDF and
Arte Arte (, , ; ' ('), sometimes stylised in lowercase or uppercase in its logo) is a European Union, European public service Television channel, channel dedicated to culture. It is made up of three separate companies: the Strasbourg-based Europea ...
Arte, August 2010.


Awards

*2003:
Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany The Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (, or , BVO) is the highest state decoration, federal decoration of the Federal Republic of Germany. It may be awarded for any field of endeavor. It was created by the first List of president ...
''(Bundesverdienstkreuz)'' *2011:
Honorary doctorate An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or '' ad hon ...
from Hochschule für Musik Franz Liszt, Weimar *2011: Honorary membership (HonRAM) in the Royal Academy of Music, London *2012: Honorary doctorate from the
KU Leuven KU Leuven (Katholieke Universiteit Leuven) is a Catholic research university in the city of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium. Founded in 1425, it is the oldest university in Belgium and the oldest university in the Low Countries. In addition to its mai ...
, Belgium *2015: Richard Wagner Award ''(Richard-Wagner-Preis)'' *2024: Honorary membership of Vienna Philharmonic


Publications

* * Christian Thielemann, ''Mein Leben mit Wagner''. Munich: Beck, 2012, ** * Christian Thielemann, ''Meine Reise zu Beethoven''. Munich: Beck, 2020,


References


External links


Christian Thielemann
b
KlassikAkzente




12 March 1993
"Christian Thielemann – the power and the politics"
by Tom Service, ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'', 15 October 2009 * A Conductor's Point of View , 21 January 2016 programme, Oxford University {{DEFAULTSORT:Thielemann, Christian 1959 births Living people Musicians from Berlin German male conductors (music) 21st-century German conductors (music) Deutsche Grammophon artists Music directors (opera) Officers Crosses of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany Honorary members of the Royal Academy of Music 20th-century German conductors (music) Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler Berlin alumni 20th-century German male musicians 21st-century German male musicians Chief conductors of the Staatskapelle Dresden Chief conductors of the Munich Philharmonic