Stanley Dodds
Information
Facts
Born in Edmonton, Canada
Member since 01.09.1994
Biography
His mother was looking for an activity for her spirited child. She heard about a good violin teacher and sent her then four-year-old son to her for lessons. It proved a good decision: at the age of 15, Stanley Dodds enrolled at the Linz Music High School, later studied at the Lucerne Conservatory under Gunars Larsens, and completed his training with Rainer Sonne at the Karajan Akademie of the Berliner Philharmoniker. In 1994, he became a full member of the orchestra.
Whilst still a student, Stanley Dodds performed with the Festival Strings Lucerne, serving as their alternate concertmaster from 1996 to 1999. A winner of multiple awards, Dodds has extensive experience as a soloist and chamber musician. He was a founding member of the Breuninger Quartet and performed with the Philharmonic Stradivari Soloists until 2015. In addition, he has been involved in various orchestral committees, most recently as media director.
Stanley Dodds is also active as a conductor: trained by Jorma Panula, he was principal conductor of the Berlin Symphony Orchestra from 2014 to 2025. In 2024, he founded the Cavatina Philharmonic Orchestra at the Cavatina Hall in Bielsko-Biała, which he has led as principal conductor ever since – alongside the Sydney Youth Orchestra. In addition, he works with youth and amateur orchestras; in 2018 he rehearsed the Be Phil Orchestra with musicians from 30 nations and regularly conducts concerts for the Karajan Academy as well as ensembles of the Berliner Philharmoniker.
»The most beautiful moments in my profession are the concerts.«