Johannes Fritzsch

Johannes Fritzsch (born Meissen, Germany, 1960) is a German conductor. His father, a cantor and organist, was his first music teacher, in piano and organ. Later, he studied violin and trumpet. He attended the Carl Maria von Weber Music Academy in Dresden, studying conducting, piano and trumpet.

In 1982, Fritzsch took his first conducting post, as second Kapellmeister at the Rostock Volkstheater, where his conducting duties included the first East German performances of Hans Werner Henze's The English Cat in 1986. From 1987 to 1992, Fritzsch was a Kapellmeister with the Staatsoper Dresden, Semperoper.

From 1992 to 1993, he was first Kapellmeister at the Staatsoper Hannover. From 1993 to 1999, he served as music director and chief conductor at the Städtische Bühnen and the Philharmonisches Orchester in Freiburg. He was Generalmusikdirektor (GMD) of the Staatsoper Nürnberg in the 2005-2006 season. In Austria, he became chief conductor of the Graz Philharmonic Orchestra and the Graz Opera in 2006. In January 2013, Fritzsch resigned his Graz posts, effective at the end of January 2013.^[1]

Fritzsch made his first conducting appearance in Australia in 1992 for an Opera Australia production of Hänsel und Gretel. He conducted a recording of Richard Strauss tone poems with The Queensland Orchestra (TQO).^[2] In July 2007, Fritzsch was named chief conductor of the TQO for an initial contract of 3 years, beginning in 2008.^[3] His first concert as the TQO's chief conductor was in March 2008.^[4] In February 2010, the orchestra, whose name reverted to its former name of the Queensland Symphony Orchestra in 2010, announced the extension of Fritzsch's contract as chief conductor for another 3 years, through 2013.^[5] In September 2013, the QSO announced the scheduled conclusion of Fritzsch's chief conductorship at the end of 2014.^[6]

In 1999, Fritzsch married Susan Collins, a violinist with the Sydney Opera House orchestra. They have three daughters.^[7]

References

1. "Chefdirigent Johannes Fritzsch verlässt Oper Graz". Die Presse. 2013-01-24. Retrieved 2013-02-14.
2. Elisabeth Wynhausen (17 March 2007). "Back from the brink". The Australian. Retrieved 2008-04-02.
3. Rosemary Sorensen (2007-07-17). "Conductor aims for the soul". The Australian. Retrieved 2008-04-02.
4. Gillian Wills (2008-03-31). "Panache in weighty program". The Australian. Retrieved 2008-04-02.
5. "Chief Conductor for QSO: Queensland Symphony Orchestra Announces Three-Year Contract Extension for Chief Conductor Johannes Fritzsch" (PDF) (Press release). The Queensland Orchestra. 18 February 2010. Retrieved 2010-02-19.
6. Natalie Bochenski (2013-09-04). "Sweet symphony for orchestra in 2014". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2013-12-25.
7. Anna King Murdoch (2008-03-21). "Johannes Fritzsch unveils a bold orchestra program". Courier Mail. Retrieved 2008-04-02.

External links

• The Queensland Orchestra biography of Fritzsch