Axel Kober
Axel Kober’s interpretations of a wide opera and concert repertoire grow on the basis of profound knowledge, enormous experience and a comprehensive musical sense into spheres of inspiring emotionality. Since the 2009/10 season, Axel Kober has been General Music Director of Deutsche Oper am Rhein Düsseldorf/Duisburg, where he sets a distinctive course in a wide repertoire – from Rameau and Händel via Mozart, Rossini, Bizet, Verdi, Wagner, Puccini, Lehár, Strauss, Britten, Berg and Poulenc up to the world premiere of Jörg Widmann’s Gesicht im Spiegel. In addition, he became GMD of Duisburg Philharmonic Orchestra in 2019, after having been Chief Conductor of this orchestra since 2017. Axel Kober has been a frequent guest at Bayreuth Festival since his debut in summer 2013, conducting revivals of Tannhäuser and Der Fliegende Holländer. In 2021 he conducted the revival of Tannhäuser directed by Tobias Kratzer. In addition, he enjoys a close relationship with the Wiener Staatsoper, where he gave his debut in 2016. Next to his enthusiastically received full cycle of Der Ring des Nibelungen in January 2019, he conducted Hänsel und Gretel as well as Arabella, Mahler 4th and Tosca. In 2021/22 he returns to Vienna for a complete revival of Der Ring des Nibelungen. Further recent invitations lead him to Deutsche Oper Berlin, Hamburgische Staatsoper, Opéra National du Rhin, Semperoper Dresden and Opernhaus Zurich, as well as to concerts of Düsseldorfer Symphoniker, Bruckner Orchester Linz, Dortmunder Philharmoniker, Sinfonieorchester Basel, Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra and Strasbourg Philharmonic Orchestra. Highlights at Deutsche Oper am Rhein include new productions of Der Ring des Nibelungen, released on CD in Spring 2021, of Wozzeck and The Emperor of Atlantis, as well as a newly edited production of Tristan und Isolde. In the season 2021/22 Axel Kober conducts new productions of Bluebeard's Castle, Káťa Kabanová as well as a scenic Christmas Oratorio. After studying conducting in Würzburg, first engagements took Axel Kober to Schwerin and Dortmund, before he became deputy, later acting GMD in Mannheim and music director of Oper Leipzig, where he also regularly conducted concerts of the Gewandhausorchester.