Christian Thielemann condcuts Wagner, Strauss and Pfitzner

Wagner, Mahler, Schumann: Christian Thielemann is one of the world’s leading experts in Romantic and late Romantic repertoire. Long build-ups of tension, a darkly fervent tone, consummate balance: all these elements characterize his interpretations of these works. The long-time artistic director of the Salzburg Easter Festival has been principal conductor of the Staatskapelle Dresden since the 2012/13 season. In their concerts during the past seasons he has devoted himself particularly to Strauss, Bruckner, Wagner and Beethoven, but has also conducted works by Henze, Rihm and Gubaidulina. Thielemann enjoys a close partnership with the Berliner Philharmoniker, with whom he has appeared regularly since 1996, and with the Vienna Philharmonic, with whom he is currently recording the complete Bruckner symphonies. In addition, he was musical advisor and music director of the Bayreuth Festival. His recent interpretations of Wagner’s Ring des Nibelungen at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden were described with the words “boldness, soul work and an almost painful meticulousness …” (BR Klassik). Thielemann also appears as a guest with the great orchestras of Europe, the United States and Asia. Other important stages in the career of the conductor, who was a viola scholar at the Karajan Academy of the Berliner Philharmoniker in his youth, were positions as music director of the Deutsche Oper Berlin and the Munich Philharmonic.

“I’m a complete stage animal,” says Camilla Nylund. “I was already passionate about theatre as a child.” The soprano, who was born in Finland and was a long-time ensemble member at the Semperoper in Dresden, actually wanted to become a pop singer: she appeared in the band of her father’s cousin when she was only six years old. Today Camilla Nylund is a guest on the world’s most renowned stages: in Amsterdam, Munich, Berlin, Zurich, Paris, Milan, Vienna, New York and Tokyo as well as at the Salzburg and Bayreuth Festivals. Her roles include all the great parts from the Classical and Romantic repertoire, and Camilla Nylund consistently sets new artistic standards with her acclaimed Wagner and Strauss interpretations. In addition to her busy career on international opera stages, she is also a regular guest in all the major concert halls and has collaborated with conductors such as Sir Simon Rattle, Christian Thielemann, Daniel Barenboim and Zubin Mehta. After her spectacular success as the Empress in the new production of Richard Strauss’s opera Die Frau ohne Schatten at the Vienna Staatsoper in summer of 2019, Camilla Nylund was awarded the title of Austrian Kammersängerin. In January 2022, she celebrated her enthusiastically cheered debut at the Frankfurt Opera in Arnold Schoenberg’s monodrama Erwartung. In September of this year, the artist was also honoured with the prestigious European Culture Award.