Ingo Metzmacher
Encyclopedia
Ingo Metzmacher is a German
conductor
. He is the son of the cellist Rudolf Metzmacher. His musical education in piano, music theory
and conducting
was in Hanover, Salzburg and Cologne. He later joined the Ensemble Modern
in 1981 as its pianist, and became the orchestra's conductor in 1985.
His first conducting engagement was in 1987, with Le Nozze di Figaro. In 1994 he gave the premiere of the revised version of Hans Werner Henze
's Symphony No. 6
, and 1997 he conducted the world premiere of Henze's Symphony No. 9
at the composer's request. From 1997 to 2005, he served as General Music Director of City of Hamburg, which covered the Hamburg State Opera
and its Philharmonic Orchestra
. He left his post in Hamburg after disputes with the city over funding.
In 2005, he became chief conductor of De Nederlandse Opera
. In February 2007, De Nederlandse Opera announced that Metzmacher would step down from his post as DNO's Chief Conductor in 2008. With the start of the 2007-2008 season, he assumed the post of principal conductor of the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin
(DSO-Berlin). His original initial contract with the DSO-Berlin was through 2011. However, after reports of disputes over financing and a threatened reduction in the size of the orchestra, in March 2009, Metzmacher announced his early resignation from the DSO-Berlin principal conductorship as of the summer of 2010. His final concerts as the orchestra's principal conductor were in June 2010 in Berlin and in August 2010 at The Proms
.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
conductor
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
. He is the son of the cellist Rudolf Metzmacher. His musical education in piano, music theory
Music theory
Music theory is the study of how music works. It examines the language and notation of music. It seeks to identify patterns and structures in composers' techniques across or within genres, styles, or historical periods...
and conducting
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
was in Hanover, Salzburg and Cologne. He later joined the Ensemble Modern
Ensemble Modern
Ensemble Modern is a chamber ensemble dedicated to the music of modern composers. Formed in 1980, the group is based in Frankfurt, Germany and made up variously of about twenty members from numerous countries....
in 1981 as its pianist, and became the orchestra's conductor in 1985.
His first conducting engagement was in 1987, with Le Nozze di Figaro. In 1994 he gave the premiere of the revised version of Hans Werner Henze
Hans Werner Henze
Hans Werner Henze is a German composer of prodigious output best known for "his consistent cultivation of music for the theatre throughout his life"...
's Symphony No. 6
Symphony No. 6 (Henze)
Symphony No. 6 for two chamber orchestras by Hans Werner Henze was written in 1969.It was written whilst the composer was living in Cuba and marks a departure in the composer's symphonic output: whilst the previous five symphonies were more straightforwardly lyrical, the Sixth Symphony has a more...
, and 1997 he conducted the world premiere of Henze's Symphony No. 9
Symphony no. 9 (Henze)
The Ninth Symphony of the German composer Hans Werner Henze was written in 1997.It is a choral symphony, subtitled Den Helden und Märtyrern des deutschen Antifaschismus gewidmet...
at the composer's request. From 1997 to 2005, he served as General Music Director of City of Hamburg, which covered the Hamburg State Opera
Hamburg State Opera
The Hamburg State Opera is one of the leading opera companies in Germany.Opera in Hamburg dates back to 2 January 1678 when the "Opern-Theatrum" was inaugurated with a performance of a biblical Singspiel by Johann Theile...
and its Philharmonic Orchestra
Philharmoniker Hamburg
The Philharmoniker Hamburg is a German symphony orchestra based in Hamburg. Its current Music Director is GMD Simone Young. It is also the orchestra of the Hamburg State Opera....
. He left his post in Hamburg after disputes with the city over funding.
In 2005, he became chief conductor of De Nederlandse Opera
De Nederlandse Opera
De Nederlandse Opera , in Amsterdam, is a Dutch opera company based in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Its present home base is the Het Muziektheater, a modern building designed by Cees Dam which opened in 1986....
. In February 2007, De Nederlandse Opera announced that Metzmacher would step down from his post as DNO's Chief Conductor in 2008. With the start of the 2007-2008 season, he assumed the post of principal conductor of the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin
Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin
The Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin is an orchestra based in Berlin, Germany. It was founded in 1946 by American occupation forces as the RIAS-Symphonie-Orchester . It was also known as the American Sector Symphony Orchestra...
(DSO-Berlin). His original initial contract with the DSO-Berlin was through 2011. However, after reports of disputes over financing and a threatened reduction in the size of the orchestra, in March 2009, Metzmacher announced his early resignation from the DSO-Berlin principal conductorship as of the summer of 2010. His final concerts as the orchestra's principal conductor were in June 2010 in Berlin and in August 2010 at The Proms
The Proms
The Proms, more formally known as The BBC Proms, or The Henry Wood Promenade Concerts presented by the BBC, is an eight-week summer season of daily orchestral classical music concerts and other events held annually, predominantly in the Royal Albert Hall in London...
.
Discography
- Alban BergAlban BergAlban Maria Johannes Berg was an Austrian composer. He was a member of the Second Viennese School with Arnold Schoenberg and Anton Webern, and produced compositions that combined Mahlerian Romanticism with a personal adaptation of Schoenberg's twelve-tone technique.-Early life:Berg was born in...
: Wozzeck - Benjamin BrittenBenjamin BrittenEdward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten, OM CH was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He showed talent from an early age, and first came to public attention with the a cappella choral work A Boy Was Born in 1934. With the premiere of his opera Peter Grimes in 1945, he leapt to...
: Serenade for Tenor, Horn and StringsSerenade for Tenor, Horn and StringsThe Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings is a song cycle written in 1943 by the English composer Benjamin Britten, scored for tenor accompanied by a solo horn and a small string orchestra...
(Ian BostridgeIan BostridgeIan Bostridge CBE is an English tenor, well known for his performances as an opera singer and as a song recitalist.-Early life and education:...
, tenor; Marie Luise NeuneckerMarie Luise NeuneckerMarie Luise Neunecker is a German hornplayer and a professor of French horn.- Professional career :Neunecker studied musicology and German studies....
, horn) - the complete symphonies of Karl Amadeus HartmannKarl Amadeus HartmannKarl Amadeus Hartmann was a German composer. Some have lauded him as the greatest German symphonist of the 20th century, although he is now largely overlooked, particularly in English-speaking countries.-Life:...
- Hans Werner HenzeHans Werner HenzeHans Werner Henze is a German composer of prodigious output best known for "his consistent cultivation of music for the theatre throughout his life"...
: Symphony No. 9 - Luigi NonoLuigi NonoLuigi Nono was an Italian avant-garde composer of classical music and remains one of the most prominent composers of the 20th century.- Early years :Born in Venice, he was a member of a wealthy artistic family, and his grandfather was a notable painter...
: PrometeoPrometeoPrometeo is a 150-minute opera by Luigi Nono, written between 1981 and 1984 and revised in 1985. Here the word "opera" carries the generic Italian meaning of "work," as in work of art, and not its usual worldly meaning. Indeed, Nono scornfully labels "Prometeo" a "tragedia dell'ascolto," a tragedy... - Richard StraussRichard StraussRichard Georg Strauss was a leading German composer of the late Romantic and early modern eras. He is known for his operas, which include Der Rosenkavalier and Salome; his Lieder, especially his Four Last Songs; and his tone poems and orchestral works, such as Death and Transfiguration, Till...
: Horn Concertos - Hans Werner HenzeHans Werner HenzeHans Werner Henze is a German composer of prodigious output best known for "his consistent cultivation of music for the theatre throughout his life"...
: RequiemRequiem (Henze)Hans Werner Henze composed the nine Sacred Concertos that comprise his Requiem over the course of three years from 1991 to 1993 on commissions from the London Sinfonietta, Suntory Corporation for the NHK Philharmonic, and Westdeutschen Rundfunks Köln...
(Sony Classical) - John CageJohn CageJohn Milton Cage Jr. was an American composer, music theorist, writer, philosopher and artist. A pioneer of indeterminacy in music, electroacoustic music, and non-standard use of musical instruments, Cage was one of the leading figures of the post-war avant-garde...
: Sixteen Dances for Soloist and Company of 3 (RCA) - Charles IvesCharles IvesCharles Edward Ives was an American modernist composer. He is one of the first American composers of international renown, though Ives' music was largely ignored during his life, and many of his works went unperformed for many years. Over time, Ives came to be regarded as an "American Original"...
: Songs/Orchestral Sets/From The Steeples and Mountains (EMI)