Marek Janowski - NOSPR

Marek Janowski is Artistic Director and Chief Conductor of the Dresdner Philharmonie. One of the great masters of the music of the German tradition, he is recognised throughout the world for his interpretation of Wagner, Strauss, Brahms, Hindemith and the Second Viennese School, and has an extensive and distinguished discography in this repertoire. His Wagner opera cycle with the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin was held to have set a new standard of performance in concertante opera. The complete cycle was recorded live on Pentatone and released in 2016: "The real stars of this Ring are the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra and Choir, the conductor and the recording team... this is the sound of a Ring for the 21st century." [BBC Music Magazine]

Marek Janowski conducted a complete Wagner Ring Cycle in the Tokyo Spring Festival between 2014–2017. He returned in 2022 for Lohengrin performances and in 2023 he will conduct performances of Die Meistersinger.

Janowski works with a chosen number of orchestras as guest conductor – Berlin Philharmonic, WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne, NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra, Bayreuth Festival and Orchestra, Budapest Festival Orchestra, Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Oslo Philharmonic, NHK Symphony Orchestra, Tokyo Opera Nomori and in the USA, the San Francisco Symphony, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and National Symphony Orchestra amongst others.

Born in Warsaw and educated in Germany, Marek Janowski’s artistic path led him from Assistant positions in Aachen, Cologne, Düsseldorf and Hamburg to his appointment as General Music Director in Freiburg im Breisgau (1973–1975) and Dortmund (1975–1979). Whilst in Dortmund, his reputation grew rapidly, and he was invited to conduct in many of Europe’s leading opera houses. There is not one world-renowned opera house where he has not been a regular guest since the late 1970s, from the Metropolitan Opera New York to the Bayerischer Staatsoper Munich; from Chicago and San Francisco to Hamburg; from Vienna and Berlin to Paris.

Marek Janowski stepped back from the opera scene in the 1990s to concentrate on the great German symphonic repertoire. He now enjoys an outstanding reputation amongst the premier orchestras of Europe and North America and is lauded for his ability to create orchestras of international standing.

Marek Janowski’s return to the Dresden Philharmonic (he held the position of Chief Conductor from 2001 to 2003) marks the city’s confidence since the opening of the new Kulturpalast Dresden. Between 1984 and 2000, as Musical Director of the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Marek Janowski took the orchestra to a position of pre-eminence in France, as well as abroad. From 1986 to 1990, in addition to his position in Paris, Janowski held the title of Chief Conductor of the Gürzenich-Orchester in Cologne and between 1997 and 1999, he was also First Guest Conductor of the Deutsche Symphonie-Orchester Berlin. From 2000 to 2005 Janowski served as Music Director of the Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo. From 2002 to 2016 he was Artistic Director of the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin.

His distinguished discography, built over the past 30 years, includes the iconic recording of the Wagner’s Ring Cycle with the Staatskapelle Dresden (1980–1983). It also includes several other complete operas and symphonic cycles, many of which have been awarded international prizes. His Bruckner’s cycle with the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, recorded for Pentatone has also been accorded high praise and of Bruckner’s Symphony No. 3, Resmusica wrote, “After the extraordinary mixed delirium of the first movement, the inspired Marek Janowski presents a second movement full of colour. With a grand, magnificent string section, the German conductor offers music of overwhelming emotion. What intensity, what beauty and what magnificent clarity in the continuity of the musical discourse” (Jacques Schmitt). Mr Janowski’s most recent release with Pentatone is Carl Maria von Weber’s Der Freischütz, recorded alongside Lise Davidsen and Andreas Schager as well as the Frankfurt Radio Symphony and MDR Rundfunkchor Leipzig.