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Chief Conductor

Johannes FritzschJohannes Fritzsch

Johannes Fritzsch was born in Meissen, Germany, in 1960. He received his first musical tuition in piano and organ from his father, a Cantor and Organist. He also studied violin and trumpet. His higher education was received at the Carl Maria von Weber Music Academy in Dresden, majoring in conducting and piano.

In 1982, after completing his studies, Maestro Fritzsch was appointed 2nd Kapellmeister at the Volkstheater in Rostock. There he gained acclaim in performances such as the East German premier of The English Cat by Hans Werner Henze in 1986. In 1987 Mo. Fritzsch accepted the position of Kapellmeister with the Staatsoper Dresden, Semperoper, where he conducted more than 350 opera and ballet performances within five years.

After the German reunification Mo. Fritzsch was able to accept engagements outside of Eastern Europe. In 1992/3 he worked as 1st Kapellmeister at the Staatsoper Hannover.

During that time Mo. Fritzsch was appointed Music Director and Chief Conductor at the Städtische Bühnen and the Philharmonisches Orchester in Freiburg. There he remained until 1999 enjoying widespread acclaim. The Verband Deutscher Musikverleger (association of German music publishers) honored his 1998/99 season with the distinction of having the “Best Concert Program”.

Mo. Fritzsch has performed with many orchestras, both within Germany and internationally. These include: Hamburger Sinfoniker, Düsseldorfer Sinfoniker, Philharmonie Essen, Nationaltheater-Orchester Mannheim, Staatskapelle Schwerin, Berliner Sinfonie Orchester, Staatskapelle Dresden, Norddeutsche Philharmonie Rostock, Staatsorchester Halle, the radio orchestras of Stockholm, Copenhagen and Oslo, Orchestre Philharmonique Strassbourg as well as the philharmonic orchestras of Montpellier and Toulouse, the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Victoria and the Tasmanian, Queensland and West Australian Symphony Orchestras.

Opera companies with which he has worked include: Sächsische Staatsoper Dresden, Opernhaus Köln, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Komische Oper Berlin, Opera Bastille Paris, Grazer Oper, the Royal Opera Stockholm, Malmö Operan and Opera Australia in Sydney and Melbourne (including Wozzeck, Don Giovanni, Carmen, Tosca, Rigoletto, Salome, Der Rosenkavalier).

Mo. Fritzsch recently held the position of Music Director and Chief Conductor of Staatsoper Nürnberg. He is currently Chief Conductor of the Philharmonisches Orchester Graz and Grazer Oper, Austria.

He commenced his role as Chief Conductor of Queensland Symphony Orchestra in 2008.