Johannes Fritzsch

Conductor

Johannes Fritzsch is currently the Principal Guest Conductor of the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, having previously served as their Chief Conductor (2008-2014) and as their Principal Conductor and Artistic Adviser (2021-2022).  Since 2018, he has held the position of Principal Guest Conductor of the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra.

From 2006 – 2013 he was Chief Conductor of the Oper Graz, Grazer Philharmonisches Orchester (Austria).  Prior to his appointment in Graz, Johannes held the position of Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Staatsoper Nürnberg.  From 1993 until 1999, he was Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Städtische Bühnen and the Philharmonic Orchestra in Freiburg.

Johannes was born in 1960 in Meissen, near Dresden, Germany, where he completed his musical education.  He has conducted many leading orchestras, both within Germany and internationally.  He regularly conducts the major Australasian orchestras as well as leading productions for Opera Australia, Opera Queensland, West Australian Opera and State Opera of South Australia.

In January 2015, Johannes was appointed Adjunct Professor, The Conservatorium of Music, School of Creative Arts and Media at the University of Tasmania; in June 2019, he joined the Queensland Conservatorium, Griffith University as Professor of Opera and Orchestral Studies.

Over the past twenty years, Johannes has given many Masterclasses for the German conductor training and development organisation Dirigentenforum des Deutschen Musikrates.  Similarly, he was active and enthusiastic in the training of conducting participants selected to take part in Symphony Services’ International Conductor Development Program.

In 2017, the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra invited him to design and lead the newly founded Australian Conducting Academy.

In 2024 Johannes is invited by Opera Australia to conduct the new productions of Idomeneo and Tosca. He will return to the Staatsoper Dresden, Semperoper, to take over performances of Die Zauberflöte, as well  as concerts with major orchestras in Australia and New Zealand.

The Aalborg Symphony Orchestra

Orchestra

The Aalborg Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1943 by the conductor Jens Schrøder (principal conductor until 1979), and today consists of 65 full-time musicians. 

The orchestra has its home on the waterfront in Aalborg in the award-winning concert hall of Musikkens Hus and is one of the largest and most prominent arts organisations in the region of North Jylland.  The heart of its activity is its regular subscription series of symphonic concerts featuring Danish and international artists. In addition, the orchestra plays a vital role as an opera and ballet orchestra for performances with the Royal Danish Theatre and the Danish National Opera, and presents children and family concerts, films in concert, and education projects in schools and venues throughout North Jutland.  

Chief Conductors since Jens Schrøder have been Janos Fürst (1980-1983), Peter Erös (1983-1989), Owain Arwel Hughes (1995-1999), Moshe Atzmon (1999-2002), Matthias Aeschbacher (2005-2011) Rumon Gamba (2011-2015), and since 2023, Joshua Weilerstein. Eminent Danish conductor Michael Schønwandt has had a long association with the orchestra and is currently Conductor Emeritus. 

Throughout the years Aalborg Symphony Orchestra has performed with many world-renowned artists such as Jean-Pierre Rampal, Victor Borge, Birgit Nilsson, Yehudi Menuhin, Anne-Sophie Mutter, José Carreras, Kiri Te Kanawa, Jonas Kaufmann, Janine Jansen, Placido Domingo, Anna Netrebko, Sir Bryn Terfel, and Evgeny Kissin. The orchestra has made numerous recordings of mostly Danish music.