Ingo Metzmacher

About

Ingo Metzmacher is a German conductor born on 10 November 1957 in Hanover, internationally recognised for his uncompromising focus on 20th- and 21st-century music. He served as General Music Director of the Staatsoper Hamburg (1997-2005), Chief Conductor of the Dutch National Opera and the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin (2007-2010), and Artistic Director of the KunstFestSpiele Herrenhausen from 2016 to 2025. A regular guest with the world's leading orchestras - from the Vienna and Berlin Philharmonics to the DR SymfoniOrkestret - he has conducted the world premieres of numerous major contemporary works.

50+

released recordings

20000+

visitors at KunstFestSpiele Herrenhausen 2025 (final edition)

300+

participating musicians at the closing concert in Hannover 2025

5×

tours with Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester

What's new

2025-06
Metzmacher concluded his 10-year tenure as artistic director of KunstFestSpiele Herrenhausen with a grand closing concert on June 8, 2025, where over 300 musicians and choirs participated under the title 'The Unanswered Question'.
2025-04
Metzmacher conducted the world premiere of Francesco Filidei's opera Il nome della rosa at Teatro alla Scala in Milan in April 2025.
2025-26
In the 2025/26 season, Metzmacher returns to Opéra national de Paris with a new production of Philip Glass' Satyagraha and also conducts Mahler symphonies in Palermo and Cologne.
2026-10
Metzmacher guest conducts the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin at a 'Casual Concert' in Philharmonie Berlin on October 10, 2026.
2024-25
In the 2024/25 season, Metzmacher completed his fifth tour with Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester and conducted the world premiere of Georg Friedrich Haas' work …heraus in Luft und Licht… with Klangforum Wien.

Tour

PalermoCologneBerlinWarsawParisViennaSalzburgFrankfurtHamburg

Tracks

Who's Afraid of 20th Century Music? (live-indspilninger, Hamburg 1999-2004)Iconic concert series and recording from the New Year's concerts in Hamburg - Metzmacher's trademark as an advocate for modern music

Henze: Sinfonie Nr. 9 (Berliner Philharmoniker)World premiere recording with Berliner Philharmoniker - a central document in Metzmacher's Henze interpretations

Messiaen: Éclairs sur l'Au-delà… (Wiener Philharmoniker)Recording with Wiener Philharmoniker - highlighted as one of his most important discography works

Hartmann: Symfonier (Bamberger Symphoniker)Complete recording of Karl Amadeus Hartmann's symphonies - a reference point in Hartmann discography

Beschenkt (Ensemble Modern)Recent recording with Ensemble Modern - 40 miniatures to celebrate the ensemble's 40th anniversary