Christoph Eschenbach

Christoph Eschenbach

National Symphony Orchestra Music Director

 

Christoph Eschenbach, Music Director of both the National Symphony Orchestra and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, is in great demand by the finest orchestras and opera houses the world over.

A key project of his 2011-2012 season at the Kennedy Center is The Music of Budapest, Prague, and Vienna, in which he will participate as conductor, pianist, and mentor.  He will lead the NSO in nine performances of six different programs and will give recitals with Matthias Goerne and Dan Zhu.  Additional highlights of the current season include first NSO performances of repertoire by Jörg Widmann, Osvaldo Golijov, and a number of vocal programs.

Maestro Eschenbach's schedule beyond Washington includes a tour of Australia, Japan, Hong Kong, and Macau with the Vienna Philharmonic; concerts with the London Philharmonic in London and Oman, with Yo-Yo Ma and Renée Fleming; and appearances with the Orchestre de Paris, NDR Sinfonieorchester, Munich Philharmonic, and Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia.  In this country, in addition to his performances with the National Symphony, he will appear as guest conductor with the Boston Symphony and the Philadelphia Orchestra, as well as the Houston Symphony.  Recitals of three of Schubert's greatest song-cycles with Matthias Goerne are scheduled in Paris.

A prolific recording artist over five decades, Christoph Eschenbach has an impressive discography as both a conductor and a pianist on a number of prominent labels. His first recording with the National Symphony was released in May on the Ondine label, Remembering JFK. His previous recordings include works ranging from J.S. Bach to music of our time. Maestro Eschenbach's discography includes recordings with the Orchestre de Paris (Ondine and Deutsche Grammophon), London Symphony (Sony/BMG), Vienna Philharmonic (Decca), NDR Sinfonieorchester (BMG/Sony and Warner), and Houston Symphony (Koch), among others, and many performances as pianist. In recent years, Ondine has released many critically acclaimed recordings featuring Maestro Eschenbach with the Orchestre de Paris, Philadelphia Orchestra, and NDR Sinfonieorchester, several of which have received prestigious honors, including BBC Magazine's Disc of the Month, Gramophone's Editors' Choice, and the German Record Critics' Award. His recent Ondine recording of the music of Kaija Saariaho with the Orchestre de Paris and soprano Karita Mattila won the 2009 MIDEM Classical Award in Contemporary Music. Of particular note is his recording and filming of the full cycle of Mahler symphonies, available on his web site for free streaming.

Mentored by George Szell and Herbert von Karajan, Maestro Eschenbach's career has included music directorships of the Orchestre de Paris (2000-2010), Philadelphia Orchestra (2003-08), Ravinia Festival (1994-2003), NDR Sinfonieorchester (1998-2004), and Houston Symphony (1988-1999). As well, he has served as artistic director of the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival (1999-2002) and as chief conductor and artistic director of the Tonhalle-Orchestra (1982-1986). His many honors include the Légion d'Honneur; Commandeur dans l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres; Officer's Cross with Star and Ribbon of the German Order of Merit; and the Commander's Cross of the German Order of Merit for outstanding achievements. He also received the Leonard Bernstein Award from the Pacific Music Festival, where he was co-artistic director (1992-1998).

For more information, please visit www.christoph-eschenbach.com and www.nationalsymphony.org.

Christoph Eschenbach is in his first season as Music Director of the National Symphony Orchestra, as well as Music Director of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. He is also in great demand as a distinguished guest conductor with the finest orchestras and opera houses throughout the world.

This season includes many features that are anticipated to become hallmarks of Maestro Eschenbach's tenure in Washington.  His role as a mentor in the lives of great artists was evident in the opening program - featuring both Lang Lang and Renée Fleming.

The commissioning of American works - long a hallmark of the National Symphony - will remain a focus, as is attested by the new work from Peter Lieberson honoring the 50th anniversary of John F. Kennedy's Inauguration, and the US premiere of Augusta Read Thomas's Violin Concerto No. 3, Juggler in Paradise. These new works will be joined by a return to the core repertoire, with Mahler and Beethoven emphasized this season.  An exploration of orchestral song is another feature, introducing works by Pintscher, Zemlinsky, and Golijov to NSO audiences. In his role with the Kennedy Center, Maestro Eschenbach has planned three weeks of orchestral programming influenced by Indian culture, as part of the Kennedy Center's maximum INDIA. This week's program is the final one in the sequence.

Maestro Eschenbach's European engagements include the recent Hindemith's Mathis der Maler with Paris Opera; performances with the Deutsches Symphonie Orchester Berlin, Munich Philharmonic, London Philharmonic, NDR Sinfonieorchester (both in Hamburg and other cities in Germany), Orchestre de Paris, and a European tour with the Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden are also planned.  Additionally, he will lead a concert with the Curtis Institute Orchestra. 

A prolific recording artist over five decades, Christoph Eschenbach has an impressive discography as both a conductor and a pianist on a number of prominent labels. His recordings include works ranging from J.S. Bach to music of our time. Maestro Eschenbach's discography includes recordings with the Orchestre de Paris (Ondine and Deutsche Grammophon), London Symphony (Sony/BMG), Vienna Philharmonic (Decca), NDR Sinfonieorchester (BMG/Sony and Warner), and Houston Symphony (Koch), among others, and many performances as pianist. In recent years, Ondine has released many critically acclaimed recordings featuring Maestro Eschenbach with the Orchestre de Paris, Philadelphia Orchestra, and NDR Sinfonieorchester, several of which have received prestigious honors, including BBC Magazine's Disc of the Month, Gramophone's Editors' Choice, and the German Record Critics' Award. His recent Ondine recording of the music of Kaija Saariaho with the Orchestre de Paris and soprano Karita Mattila won the 2009 MIDEM Classical Award in Contemporary Music.  Of particular note is his recording and filming of the full cycle of Mahler symphonies, available on his web site for free streaming. He and the NSO have just made their first recording together, to be released May 31, 2011.

Mentored by George Szell and Herbert von Karajan, Maestro Eschenbach's career has included music directorships of the Orchestre de Paris (2000-10), Philadelphia Orchestra (2003-8), Ravinia Festival (1994-2003), NDR Sinfonieorchester (1998-2004), and Houston Symphony (1988-1999).  As well, he has served as artistic director of the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival (1999-2002) and as chief conductor and artistic director of the Tonhalle-Orchestra (1982-1986). His many honors include the Légion d'Honneur; Commandeur dans l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres; Officer's Cross with Star and Ribbon of the German Order of Merit; and the Commander's Cross of the German Order of Merit for outstanding achievements. He also received the Leonard Bernstein Award from the Pacific Music Festival, where he was co-artistic director (1992-1998).

For more information, please visit www.christoph-eschenbach.com.