Marc Albrecht
News
Starting with the 26/27 season, Marc Albrecht will assume the role of Chief Conductor of the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra. Before his official appointment, he will appear with the orchestra as Chief Conductor Designate during the 25/26 season.
Marc Albrecht is widely regarded as an outstanding conductor, particularly acclaimed for his interpretations of late-Romantic German-Austrian repertoire and contemporary music. He is much in demand as a guest conductor at renowned opera houses such as the Bavarian State Opera, Tokyo National Opera and the Grand Théâtre de Genève. He also conducts orchestras such as the Berlin Philharmonic, the Munich Philharmonic, the Orchestre National de France and the NHK Symphony Orchestra in major concert halls around the world.
Throughout his career, Albrecht has already received numerous accolades, including being named Conductor of the Year twice. In recognition of his contributions to Dutch musical life during his ten-year tenure as Music Director of Dutch National Opera and the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra, he was appointed Knight of the Order of the Netherlands Lion in 2020.
Marc Albrecht about his partnership with the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra: "When we played our very first concerts together, I felt very inspired by the orchestra’s deep musicality and its rich and variable sound. I am impatient to start on our musical journey, exploring new artistic horizons together".
Dates:
07 March 2026, Queen Elisabeth Hall, Antwerp
27 June 2026, Queen Elisabeth Hall, Antwerp
21/01/2025
Since taking up his first position as General Music Director at the age of just 30, Marc Albrecht has been an established figure on the international opera scene. Award-winning productions, GRAMMY-nominated DVD recordings and the nomination of the Dutch National Opera as “Opera House of the Year” during his tenure bear witness to this.
Albrecht is in demand as a specialist in the German-Austrian late Romantic repertoire from Wagner and Strauss to Zemlinsky, Schreker and Korngold, loves the large orchestral apparatus and knows how to exploit the almost infinite sound possibilities of the orchestra. At the same time, he always tries to make the symphonic texture transparent as chamber music.
Major debuts are now a rarity; most opera productions mean a return to well-known stages for Albrecht. Currently, however, he is in the pit of the New National Theatre Tokyo for the first time, where he is the musical director for a production of Richard Wagner's opera “The Flying Dutchman”.
He will then return to a house with which he has long been closely associated: at the Bavarian State Opera in Munich, he will conduct the new production of Janáček's Káťa Kabanová, which premieres on March 17, 2025 and will be broadcast live on BR-Klassik.
14/09/2024
On Sunday, Marc Albrecht will conduct the premiere of Richard Wagner's 'Tristan und Isolde' at the Grand Théâtre de Genève with the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande.
This performance marks the beginning of a series of performances, continuing on 18, 22, 24, and 27 September. The production is directed by renowned stage director Michael Thalheimer.
For more information on dates and tickets, visit the official website of the theater at gtg.ch.
Alexander von Zemlinsky's "Eine florentinische Tragödie" (1917) eagerly awaited album was released on 14 June 2024. Under the baton of Marc Albrecht, the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra delivers a dazzling rendition of this tense, opulent score. The album features the talents of John Lundgren (Simone), Nikolai Schukoff (Guido Bardi) and Ausrine Stundyte (Bianca).
Zemlinsky’s opera, known for its dramatic narrative where a tenor and soprano's love is thwarted by a baritone, reaches new heights under Albrecht's direction. The Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra, celebrated for their late-Romantic repertoire and awarded the 2021 Opus Klassik for Zemlinsky’s "Die Seejungfrau", brings depth and brilliance to the recording. This album release is yet another highlight for the Dutch National Opera, recently crowned Opera House of the Year 2024 by Oper! Magazine.
With seasoned soloists and a world-class orchestra, this rendition of "Eine florentinische Tragödie" is set to captivate and impress classical music enthusiasts worldwide. You can listen to the album on all streaming platforms.
Marc Albrecht has been awarded the OPUS KLASSIK in the category Conductor of the Year for his production „Zemlinsky – Die Seejungfrau“. The album features Zemlinsky’s enigmatic symphonic poem, based on the fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen, through a series of vivid music motives and earned considerable acclaim all around. Trouw, for instance, wrote: "The performance is rich in detail, compelling and exhilarating. Marc Albrecht beautifully leads the strongly expanded orchestra, which plays brilliantly.“ – "A marvellous recording“, wrote rbb Kultur. "Marc Albrecht has always had the gift of bringing out transparency, light and filigree structures in these opulent, late-Romantic orchestral masses."
Released in June 2020, the recording marked the final PENTATONE album of Marc Albrecht as chief conductor of the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra.
The OPUS KLASSIK award ceremony will take place on October 10, 2021 in the Konzerthaus Berlin on Gendarmenmarkt and will be broadcast on German Television, the ZDF, on the same evening at 10:15 p.m.
Marc Albrecht has been awarded the Prix d'Amis 2020 for his work as chief conductor of the Dutch National Opera and the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra from 2011-2020 by the Friends of Dutch National Opera. He will also be made a "Honorary Friend of Dutch National Opera". The jury praised Albrecht for his performances, his eye for aesthetics and his versatility in style: „He has made a difference as a top-level conductor". Marc Albrecht, who bade farewell this year after 9 years of head of DNO, will donate the money that comes with the prize to the Kersjesfonds, which helps young conductors improve their professional skills.
„What a great surprise and wonderful news to win the Prix d'Amis. I am honoured to get this award from the Friends and donors of Dutch National Opera for my tenure at Dutch National Opera and I would like to express my gratitude to everyone involved.
I have had to say goodbye to DNO and the Dutch audience in strange and sad circumstances because of the Covid-19 measures. My heart is still very much at Dutch National Opera, so I am very happy that by winning the Prix d'Amis and being made "Honorary Friend of Dutch National Opera" I will remain part of this family. This will once again strengthen our relationship and I am already looking forward to being "back in de bak" in the near future." (Marc Albrecht)
Photo: Marco Borggreve
The production of Korngold's "Das Wunder der Heliane" at Deutsche Oper Berlin, conducted by Marc Albrecht, has won the Opus Klassik award 2020 for Best Opera Recording of a 20./21. century opera!
A neglected masterpiece, the production was voted "Rediscovery of the Year" by the critics of Opernwelt magazine and earned considerable acclaim all round – Neue Musikzeitung, for instace, wrote: "How Marc Albrecht ignites and holds together the exuberant, velvety luxurious orchestral shimmer that would later serve as a blueprint for countless film scores is an experience." Directed by Christof Loy, the cast includes Sara Jakubiak, Josef Wagner, Brian Jagde and Okka von der Damerau.
The celebrated recording was released by Naxos in June 2019 and is available here: https://www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=2.110584-85
Photo: Monika Rittershaus
For his many contributions to the Dutch and international classical music landscape, Marc Albrecht has been appointed the knighthood of the Order of the Netherlands Lion. It is one of the oldest and highest civil orders in the Netherlands and is intended for extraordinary merits in science and the arts. He was awarded the order by Deputy mayor Touria Meliani on June 20 after a concert with the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra at Het Concertgebouw Amsterdam.
Marc Albrecht and the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra present Zemlinsky's symphonic poem Die Seejungfrau (The Mermaid). Lush and enigmatic, it is based on the fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen. Through a series of motives, Zemlinsky depicts the musical fantasy in vivid colours: from the bottom of the ocean through the storm to an exuberant ball, introducing the Mermaid through solo violin. This new recording marks the final PENTATONE album of Marc Albrecht as chief conductor of the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra.
The Grammy nominations are out – and an opera production conducted by Marc Albrecht has been nominated for “Best Opera Recording”! The 2017 production of Alban Berg’s “Wozzeck” at the Dutch National Opera, and Music Director Marc Albrecht’s interpretation in particular, earned great critical acclaim – “Marc Albrecht lets [the score] glow and blaze,” wrote German critic Manuel Brug of newspaper Die Welt. The recording was released on Naxos in 2018. “Wozzeck” was performed by the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra as well as the Chorus of Dutch National Opera, directed by Krzysztof Warlikowski and the cast included Christopher Maltman as well as Eva-Maria Westbroek.
In 2009, Marc Albrecht celebrated a notable success at Royal Opera House with Wagner’s “Fliegender Holländer” – this summer, he makes a return to Covent Garden: From June 19 he will be conducting a new production of Mussorgksky’s “Boris Godunov”, directed by Richard Jones. Bass-baritone Bryn Terfel takes over the titular role of the hesitant tsar.
Marc Albrecht received the "Conductor of the Year" award at this year's International Opera Awards. At the award ceremony at Sadler's Wells in London on April 29, Leontyne Price amongst others was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement award. Albrecht, who last year directed the opening production "Ariadne auf Naxos" at Aix-en Provence Festival and the production "Das Wunder der Heliane" at the Deutsche Oper Berlin in addition to the productions at the Dutch National Opera House, thanked the jury for the award and emphasized the long and fruitful collaboration at the Amsterdam Opera House, whose chief position Albrecht has accompanied for more than ten years now.
Marc Albrecht continues his focus on Strauss with a new album. On this new CD, he combines the “Burleske” with one of Strauss’ most famous tone poems “Ein Heldenleben” and, thereby, presents two facets of the composer’s musical persona. The Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra and the pianist Denis Kozhukhin support Albrecht as musical partners for this recording.
A detailed press text can be found via this link.
Further information on this album are available here.
Biography
Internationally renowned for his exceptional interpretations of the late-Romantic repertoire, Marc Albrecht is also celebrated as a leading expert in contemporary music. His chamber music approach brings remarkable transparency to his work with large orchestras, allowing symphonic structures to shine with striking clarity.
In the 2025/26 season, Marc Albrecht begins his tenure as Chief Conductor Designate of the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra, ahead of assuming the post formally in 2026/27. He will return to Belgium twice next spring, further deepening his artistic partnership with the orchestra ahead of his full appointment.
On the opera stage, Marc Albrecht maintains close ties with major houses across Europe. This season he leads Wagner’s Lohengrin at the Deutsche Oper Berlin, before returning later for a revival of Franz Schreker’s “Der Schatzgräber”. At Oper Köln, he takes on a new production of Wagner’s “Das Rheingold”. His repertoire focuses on the cornerstone works of late-Romantic music theatre, which he interprets with exceptional clarity and insight, bringing their dramatic intensity and rich orchestral colour vividly to life. This masterful approach has earned him invitations to many of the world’s most prestigious opera stages, including the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, La Scala, Milan, the Opéra de Paris, the Bayerische Staatsoper, and the Semperoper Dresden.
Marc Albrecht will open the concert season at the Dresdner Philharmonie with Veronika Eberle in Beethoven’s Violin Concerto and Strauss’ “Sinfonia domestica”. He also appears with the Orquesta Sinfónica de Castilla y León in a programme spanning Unsuk Chin, Mozart, and Brahms. Other engagements will take him to the Real Orquesta Sinfónica de Sevilla and further afield to the Orquestra Sinfônica do Estado de São Paulo and the Teatro Colón Buenos Aires. He also returns to the Staatstheater Darmstadt to conduct Bruckner’s Symphony No. 8 – a homecoming to the theatre where he once served as one of Germany’s youngest General Music Directors.
Alongside this, he maintains a strong commitment to contemporary music. In January he will return to the Ultraschall Festival in Berlin with the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin and the GrauSchumacher Piano Duo, performing works by Claudio Ambrosini, Hermann Keller, and others.
Marc Albrecht’s concert engagements have brought him to many of the world’s leading orchestras, including the Berliner Philharmoniker, Münchner Philharmoniker, Orchestre National de France, Gulbenkian Orchestra, Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della RAI, NHK Symphony Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, Taiwan Philharmonic, and Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra. He has also appeared at major festivals such as Bayreuth, Salzburg, and Aix-en-Provence, as well as the BBC Proms.
His artistic achievements have been recognised with numerous awards. In 2021 he was awarded the OPUS KLASSIK “Conductor of the Year”, having previously received the International Opera Award in the same category. During his tenure as Chief Conductor, the Dutch National Opera was named “Opera House of the Year” (2016), and in 2020 he was appointed Knight of the Order of the Dutch Lion for his services to the arts.
Marc Albrecht’s acclaimed discography includes OPUS KLASSIK-winning recordings of Korngold’s “Das Wunder der Heliane” (NAXOS) and Zemlinsky’s “Die Seejungfrau” (Pentatone). His production of Berg’s “Wozzeck” at Dutch National Opera earned a GRAMMY nomination, and his most recent recording, Zemlinsky’s “Eine florentinische Tragödie” (Pentatone), was met with widespread critical praise.
Marc Albrecht’s musical career was profoundly influenced by Claudio Abbado. Following his studies in Vienna and early roles as a répétiteur at the Vienna and Hamburg State Operas, he became Abbado's assistant and played a pivotal role in establishing the Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra, leading and shaping it for over five years. In 1995, he was appointed General Music Directo
Season 2025/26
Calendar
Media
"... bannende Ausstrahlung geht auch von Marc Albrecht aus."
Die Welt
Press Quotes
Frau ohne Schatten, Dutch National Opera Amsterdam
“The musicians of the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra and their conductor are the stars of the evening.”
Joachim Lange, NMZ, April 24, 2025
"The greatest joy comes from the brilliance of the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of its former principal conductor Marc Albrecht."
Merlijn Kerkhof, de Volkskrant, April 25, 2025
“Marc Albrecht conducts the Nederlands Philharmonisch with a special dedication that is ideally suited to a festival.”
Anja-Rosa Thöming, Frankfurter Allgemeine, April 25, 2025
“Marc Albrecht and the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra create a colorful and form-conscious pull in the huge orchestra pit of the Amsterdam Opera.”
Uwe Friedrich, Oper!, April 26, 2025
“Albrecht brings magic of his own to the evening; there are few who can match his clarity, intelligence, elegance, and shrewd ability to balance brisk transparency with moments of ecstasy.”
Shirley Apthorp, Financial Times, 28. April 2025
Kát'a Kabanová, Bayerische Staatsoper
“Under the intense direction of Marc Albrecht, the Bavarian State Orchestra performed Janácek's music with captivating, often overwhelming beauty and expressiveness.”
Michael Vieth, Bachtrack, March 18, 2025
“Marc Albrecht conducts the Bavarian State Orchestra with a keen sense of the subtle colors and layers, but also the contrariness of Janácek's magnificent music.”
Klaus Kalchschmid, Opernnews, March 19, 2025
“The Bavarian State Orchestra under the baton of Marc Albrecht has a brilliant understanding of Janáček's concise stylistic devices.”
Richard-Wagner-Verband, March 19, 2025
Tristan und Isolde, Grand Théâtre de Genève
“Albrecht succeeds in giving the performance a lively momentum - and at the same time, he has the courage to let the music come to a magical standstill at times.”
Christian Berzins, Luzerner Zeitung, September 16, 2024
“The fact that Geneva was able to experience music of the very finest quality was due to the outstanding, fluid, refined and weightless conducting of Marc Albrecht, who made the complex music shine with mildly luminous sounds.”
Marcel Burkhardt, Online Merker, September 23, 2024
Zemlinskys „Eine florentinische Tragödie“
"Marc Albrecht unleashes an arsenal of sounds, chords and tones even after the passionate explosion of the prelude. In 54 minutes, there is not a second of waning tension. Voices and orchestra engage in bizarre love wars of impulsive desire, deadly jokes and subtle cruelty."
Roland H. Dippel, Concerti, 2 August 2024
"Marc Albrecht […] deploys the forces of the Netherlands Philharmonic to powerful effect, allowing the music to bloom where needed, but keeping a sure finger on the underlying pulse."
Europadisc
"Marc Albrecht extracts such colourful and impassioned playing from the Netherlands Philharmonic that the opera’s hot-house score still dazzles."
The Times
"Marc Albrecht – an established specialist in this repertoire from the first decades of the 20th century – unafraid to unleash his orchestra to full effect."
Hugo Shirley, Gramophone
"Marc Albrecht is one of the most exciting conductors of his generation. He is in demand internationally as a conductor of the German-Austrian late Romantic repertoire from Wagner and Strauss to Zemlinsky, Schreker and Korngold, and also cultivates with conviction the entire spectrum from Mozart to contemporary music."
Pentatone
Frau ohne Schatten, Oper Köln
"Albrecht presents himself as a director of Richard Strauss of caliber, who dispatches this Shadowless Woman with as much sensuality as intelligence and does not betray her with striking effects."
Mundoclasico, October 11, 2023
"The result is more than satisfactory thanks also to the skilful musical direction of Marc Albrecht, who has been in great harmony with the complex sound world of Richard Strauss for years. Under his guidance the Gürzenich Orchester shows the infinite range of colors and sound power, but also knows how to gather in warm chamber sounds and release the singing of strings in the solos of moving lyricism. Albrecht's great merit is in the great balance, never easy, with the voices on the scene, which reach the audience with plastic sharpness in this performance."
Stefano Nardelli, Giornale Della Musica, October 16, 2023
Concert with the Nederlands Philharmonisch Orkest, Concertgebouw Amsterdam
"Unchanged, […] Albrecht's ability to tighten the score in a single, very tense narrative arc, in a performance of enthralling vitality welcomed by the public with a real ovation."
Edoardo Saccenti, OperaClick, October 11, 2023
Turandot, Philharmonia Zürich
"Marc Albrecht was a veritable powerhouse in the pit […] A fantastic production of a fantastic opera - I cannot say more."
Seen und Heard International, June 19, 2023
Königskinder, Dutch National Opera Amsterdam
"Back in the pit with his trusted Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra, Albrecht conducted superbly, highlighting the chamber-like details of the score and pinpointing the many string solos."
Nicolas Nguyen, Bachtrack, October7, 2022
Concert with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra
"But the Meyerson Symphony Center audience got quite a showcase of the […] fastidious command and generous musicality of German guest conductor Marc Albrecht."
Scott Cantrell, The Dallas Morning News, March 18, 2022
Der Schatzgräber, Deutsche Oper Berlin
"But the evening’s real hero is conductor Marc Albrecht. He has been fascinated by the piece for decades, and it shows. He knows just how to give full throttle to the score’s lush extremes without losing any of the detail; how to pull back for moments of whispering tenderness; how to hold his singers in the palm of his hand. The orchestra shows just how much more subtlety and refinement it can produce in the right hands. The piece lives and breathes.
Der Schatzgräber deserves more outings than this, and different takes on its strange story-line. But this is an excellent start, and the perfect way to hear an extraordinary score."
Financial Times, Shirley Apthorp, May 4, 2022
Alexander Zemlinsky: Die Seejungfrau
"A marvellous recording. Marc Albrecht has always had the gift of bringing out transparency, light and filigree structures in these opulent, late-Romantic orchestral masses."
rbb Kultur, July 2020
"Marc Albrecht and the Nederlands Philharmonic Orchestra have created an exhilarating interpretation of Zemlinsky's tone poem "Die Seejungfrau"."
Der Tagesspiegel, July 2020
"Listening to this fine new recording from Marc Albrecht and the Netherlands Philharmonic, the neglect of Seejungfrau seems particularly baffling."
The Guardian, June 2020
"The performance is rich in detail, compelling and exhilarating. (...) [Marc Albrecht] beautifully leads the strongly expanded orchestra, which plays brilliantly."
Trouw, June 2020
"Marc Albrecht and the Netherlands Philharmonic show a close bond from the first note, so that the interpretative ideas are implemented with pinpoint accuracy. This then goes far beyond simply playing the notes. Rather, the musicians allow the colours and waves that are incorporated in the sea motifs to emerge clearly."
Pizzicato, June 2020
"Albrecht and the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra shine in this recording. The deep sea, the sea witch, sunlight breaking on waves: they draw the mermaid's biotope with ease."
Volkskrant, June 2020
BBC Proms, London
“Albrecht's exciting performance [of Le Chasseur maudit] had momentum, and maintained tension even in the slow central part.”
“As music director of Dutch National Opera, Albrecht is an experienced Wagnerian and he drew all the strands together with theatrical relish, inspiring the RPO in the process.”
Daily Telegraph, September 2019
“Albrecht lifted this listener out of the concert hall and deposited me in a baleful landscape the like of which I'd never previously encountered in this music. By the careful highlighting of specific solos or sections, then allowing balance to follow naturally, he did more than conquer the Royal Albert Hall’s exuberant acoustic: he exploited it. This accursed huntsman's musical material may be thinly stretched over the 14-minute running time but Franck’s orchestral colours enrich it triumphantly and Albrecht’s conducting ripped it from the page.“
Bachtrack, September 2019
“[Marc Albrecht] coaxed some outstanding playing from the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra: I have not heard them on such form in years.“
„Albrecht had also proved himself a master of transition in the Overture to Weber’s Der Freischütz – astutely programmed as a piece that worked magic on Wagner’s imagination – and in the wild ride of Le Chausseur Maudit by Franck.“
The Arts Desk, September 2019
“Albrecht showed – in the venue where Wagner conducted his own music in 1877 – how he has a deep understanding of German Romanticism and rarely can the RPO have sounded better at the Proms in recent years.”
Seen and Heard International, September 2019
Contact
General Management:
Susanne Büttner
+44 20 7395 09-31
susanne.buettner@kdschmid.co.uk
Germany, Austria, Switzerland:
Annemarie Burnett
+49 177 36607-03
annemarie.burnett@kdschmid.de
Artist Coordination:
Jan-Christian Nauck
+49 511 36607-22
jan-christian.nauck@kdschmid.de
Italy:
Resia Artists, Patrizia Garrasi
+39 02654162
p.garrasi@resiartists.it
Spain/Portugal:
Duetto Management, Enrique Subiela
+34 96 337 9480
esubiela@duettomanagement.com
Japan:
Pacific Concert Management, Hiromi Tanaka
+81 3 3552 3831
tanaka@pacific-concert.co.jp