Michael Sanderling

Tours throughout Europe, Asia and South America, as well as innovative projects, testify to the artistic resonance of this collaboration. Particular acclaim was drawn by the multimedia production of Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 10 with artist William Kentridge, which, following its premiere at the KKL Luzern and in Pompeii, went on to enjoy triumphant performances at the Vienna Konzerthaus and the Philharmonie de Paris. Sanderling’s discography with the Luzerner Sinfonieorchester, including an acclaimed Brahms cycle for Warner Classics as well as recordings of the piano concertos by Antonín Dvořák and Edvard Grieg with Elisabeth Leonskaja, documents the sonic depth of this era.

Michael Sanderling’s path to the conductor’s podium was shaped by a profound understanding of orchestral sound. After a distinguished career as a cello soloist, including appearances with the Orchestre de Paris, the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra and the Boston Symphony Orchestra, he served as principal cellist of the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig under Kurt Masur from 1987 to 1992. His artistic directorship of the Kammerakademie Potsdam from 2006 to 2011 laid the foundation for his work as a conductor. From 2011 to 2019, he led the Dresden Philharmonic as Chief Conductor into a new era and established the orchestra among Germany’s leading ensembles. One lasting monument to this period is the highly acclaimed complete recording of the Beethoven and Shostakovich symphonies for Sony Classical.

Alongside the major symphonic works, his recorded output also includes significant concerto recordings with soloists such as Edgar Moreau and Katrin Scholz, as well as collaborations with the Rundfunkchor Berlin. He has also made a strong mark in opera: for his conducting of Prokofiev’s War and Peace at Cologne Opera, he was named Conductor of the Year 2011 by the magazine Opernwelt.

Today, he is a guest conductor with renowned orchestras around the world, including the Berlin Philharmonic, the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Amsterdam, the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, the Orchestre de Paris, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, the Philharmonia Orchestra London and the NHK Symphony Orchestra.

Alongside his work on the major concert stages, Sanderling is passionately committed to the next generation of musicians. For many years, he has taught at the Frankfurt University of Music and Performing Arts (HfMDK). His longstanding engagement with ensembles such as the Deutsche Streicherphilharmonie, the Schleswig-Holstein Festival Orchestra and the Bundesjugendorchester reflects his conviction that musical excellence and the passing on of experience are inseparable.