Alexander Liebreich
Designated artistic director and chief conductor Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra Katowice (NOSPR)
Artistic director and principal conductor of the Munich Chamber Orchestra (MKO)
Artistic director of Tongyeong International Music Festival (TIMF)
Alexander Liebreich has been hailed by the press as Munich's most exciting conductor and a pioneer in a new generation of conductors, for whom the borderline between large symphony orchestras and smaller, more flexible ensembles comes just as naturally as the synthesis of artistic mastery and social responsibility.
After he was awarded the Kirill Kondraschin Conducting Competition Prize in 1996 by a jury that included Sir Edward Downes and Peter Eötvös, Alexander Liebreich was appointed assistant to Edo de Waart at the Radio Filharmonisch Orkest-Holland. As guest conductor he worked with many prestigious orchestras including the Concertgebouw Orchestra, the Orchestre National de Belgique, the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Auckland Philharmonia, the Radio Sinfonieorchester Berlin and the Munich Philharmonic. He has performed with distinguished soloists such as Lisa Batiashvili, Claron McFadden, Frank Peter Zimmermann and Maxim Vengerov. In recent years, he has also conducted the NDR Radio-Philharmonic, RSO Stuttgart, Dresden Philharmonic, the Osaka Philharmonic, NHK Symphony Orchestra Tokyo, DSO Berlin and the Bavarian Radio Orchestra.
Alexander Liebreich was appointed artistic director and principal conductor of the Munich Chamber Orchestra (MKO) in October 2006. Since that time, as well as receiving several awards for its unique sound and innovative programming, the ensemble has become widely celebrated not only in Munich but also throughout Europe and overseas, performing with Liebreich at major international festivals and concert halls. Their first collaborative CD, featuring works by Joseph Haydn and Isang Yun, was released internationally to great critical acclaim by the label ECM in January 2008, and was followed in 2009 by the launch of a Bach CD with Hilary Hahn, Christine Schäfer and Matthias Goerne, by Deutsche Grammophon. His most recent recording, featuring Rossini overtures, was released in 2011 and was named CD of the month by Fono Forum.
Alexander Liebreich, who was born in Regensburg, studied at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater München and the Salzburg Mozarteum and gained many of his early artistic experiences through both Claudio Abbado and Michael Gielen, focuses a great deal on the symphonic repertoire. Having been a regular guest for 5 years with the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra Katowice, Alexander Liebreich has just been appointed chief conductor and artistic director of the leading Polish symphony orchestra. His tenure will begin in the 2012/13 season.
Beginning of the season 2011/12, Alexander Liebreich made his successful debut at the Frankfurt Opera with Othmar Schoeck's Penthesilea, produced by Hans Neuenfels. In May 2012, he and the Konzerthausorchester Berlin will embark on a tour of Great Britain following his debut with the orchestra in Berlin.
Aside from his concerts and opera productions, Liebreich has established a reputation for himself through his extraordinary initiative in pursuing unusual projects. In 2002, he visited North and South Korea together with the Junge Deutsche Philharmonie where they gave the first Korean performances of Bruckner Symphony No. 8. He has since returned to North Korea five times as Guest Professor in collaboration with the Goethe Institute and the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service). The unique documentary film "Pyongyang Crescendo", released on DVD in 2005, captures his teaching experiences there.
In December 2008, Alexander Liebreich was named member of the General Meeting of the Goethe Institute, a guiding body of selected figures from the cultural life of Germany advising the institute's Board of Trustees. Since 2011, he has been the first European artistic director of the Tongyeong International Music Festival (TIMF) in South Korea, one of the biggest and most important festivals in Asia. With the goal of encouraging intercultural encounters, he implemented the "east-west-residence-programme", inviting guest artists like Heiner Goebbels, Unsuk Chin, Martin Grubinger, Toshio Hosokawa and Beat Furrer to South Korea.
Alexander Liebreich is married to dancer Simone Geiger, former soloist at the Bavarian State Ballet and former member of the Nederlands Dans Theaters. They live together with their son David Luis Andrea in Munich.
Season 2011/12
Artistic director and principal conductor of the Munich Chamber Orchestra (MKO)
Artistic director of Tongyeong International Music Festival (TIMF)
Alexander Liebreich has been hailed by the press as Munich's most exciting conductor and a pioneer in a new generation of conductors, for whom the borderline between large symphony orchestras and smaller, more flexible ensembles comes just as naturally as the synthesis of artistic mastery and social responsibility.
After he was awarded the Kirill Kondraschin Conducting Competition Prize in 1996 by a jury that included Sir Edward Downes and Peter Eötvös, Alexander Liebreich was appointed assistant to Edo de Waart at the Radio Filharmonisch Orkest-Holland. As guest conductor he worked with many prestigious orchestras including the Concertgebouw Orchestra, the Orchestre National de Belgique, the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Auckland Philharmonia, the Radio Sinfonieorchester Berlin and the Munich Philharmonic. He has performed with distinguished soloists such as Lisa Batiashvili, Claron McFadden, Frank Peter Zimmermann and Maxim Vengerov. In recent years, he has also conducted the NDR Radio-Philharmonic, RSO Stuttgart, Dresden Philharmonic, the Osaka Philharmonic, NHK Symphony Orchestra Tokyo, DSO Berlin and the Bavarian Radio Orchestra.
Alexander Liebreich was appointed artistic director and principal conductor of the Munich Chamber Orchestra (MKO) in October 2006. Since that time, as well as receiving several awards for its unique sound and innovative programming, the ensemble has become widely celebrated not only in Munich but also throughout Europe and overseas, performing with Liebreich at major international festivals and concert halls. Their first collaborative CD, featuring works by Joseph Haydn and Isang Yun, was released internationally to great critical acclaim by the label ECM in January 2008, and was followed in 2009 by the launch of a Bach CD with Hilary Hahn, Christine Schäfer and Matthias Goerne, by Deutsche Grammophon. His most recent recording, featuring Rossini overtures, was released in 2011 and was named CD of the month by Fono Forum.
Alexander Liebreich, who was born in Regensburg, studied at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater München and the Salzburg Mozarteum and gained many of his early artistic experiences through both Claudio Abbado and Michael Gielen, focuses a great deal on the symphonic repertoire. Having been a regular guest for 5 years with the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra Katowice, Alexander Liebreich has just been appointed chief conductor and artistic director of the leading Polish symphony orchestra. His tenure will begin in the 2012/13 season.
Beginning of the season 2011/12, Alexander Liebreich made his successful debut at the Frankfurt Opera with Othmar Schoeck's Penthesilea, produced by Hans Neuenfels. In May 2012, he and the Konzerthausorchester Berlin will embark on a tour of Great Britain following his debut with the orchestra in Berlin.
Aside from his concerts and opera productions, Liebreich has established a reputation for himself through his extraordinary initiative in pursuing unusual projects. In 2002, he visited North and South Korea together with the Junge Deutsche Philharmonie where they gave the first Korean performances of Bruckner Symphony No. 8. He has since returned to North Korea five times as Guest Professor in collaboration with the Goethe Institute and the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service). The unique documentary film "Pyongyang Crescendo", released on DVD in 2005, captures his teaching experiences there.
In December 2008, Alexander Liebreich was named member of the General Meeting of the Goethe Institute, a guiding body of selected figures from the cultural life of Germany advising the institute's Board of Trustees. Since 2011, he has been the first European artistic director of the Tongyeong International Music Festival (TIMF) in South Korea, one of the biggest and most important festivals in Asia. With the goal of encouraging intercultural encounters, he implemented the "east-west-residence-programme", inviting guest artists like Heiner Goebbels, Unsuk Chin, Martin Grubinger, Toshio Hosokawa and Beat Furrer to South Korea.
Alexander Liebreich is married to dancer Simone Geiger, former soloist at the Bavarian State Ballet and former member of the Nederlands Dans Theaters. They live together with their son David Luis Andrea in Munich.
Season 2011/12
General Management
CR: Hyun-Chul Schim
Photo: Thomas Rabsch