LISTEN
About Michael
"A peak musical performance"
- The Herald Tribune
The German conductor Michael Balke is known for his versatility across both symphonic and operatic repertoire. He has gained international recognition, with guest conducting engagements at renowned opera houses, symphony orchestras, and concert houses worldwide, including Hamburg, Munich, Luzern, Verona, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Dresden, Detroit, and Tokyo. He is currently Principal Guest Conductor at Munich's STAATSTHEATER AM GÄRTNERPLATZ.
Michael has collaborated with celebrated artists like Ludovic Tézier, Marina Rebeka, Michael Spyres, Lawrence Brownlee, Juan-Diego Flórez, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, and Midori, and has made significant contributions to the performance of rarely heard German Romantic works by composers like Schreker and Franz Schmidt.
REVIEWS
"Balke shows a remarkable instinct for the fusion of music and drama, and the orchestra joins in joyfully, rewarding him with brilliance, drive, and a featherlight, enchanting performance. This is top-level artistry."
OPERNWELT
"Das funkelt und jubiliert und lockt und betört, dass es eine Pracht ist."
NEUE ZÜRCHER ZEITUNG
"The relentlessly modern, yet sweet and sensual reading of Michael Balke has downright drug character. This is like ecstasy!"
MDR Figaro
CRITIC'S CHOICE (La Traviata)
"The Prima Classics CD makes my short list of the best recordings of this popular opera. Conductor Michael Balke is forthright and brisk, but he takes care to lighten the textures and dynamics where he can and shapes the music in convincing arcs"
OPERA NEWS
Conducted 50 orchestras worldwide such as @ Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, Swedish Chamber Orchestra, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra dell’Arena di Verona, Staatskapelle Dresden, MDR-Sinfonieorchester, Münchner Rundfunkorchester, Residentie Orkest, Latvian National Symphony Orchestra, Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra (Tokyo), Osaka Philharmonic, Taiwan Philharmonic, ...
Opera productions @ Verona (Elektra, Salome), Semperoper Dresden (Zauberflöte), Theater an der Wien
(La voix humaine), Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre (Madama Butterfly, Merry Widow), Sofia National Opera (Don Carlo), Danish National Opera (La Bohème)
Principal Guest Conductor positions @ Munich's Staatstheater am Gärtnerplatz and
Theater St. Gallen, Switzerland
Concerts @ Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, Alte Oper Frankfurt, KKL Luzern, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Osaka Festival Hall
Radio production for NDR, MDR and Deutschlandfunk
TV production for ARD / 3SAT, MDR, RAI
CD Production of Verdi's LA TRAVIATA with Marina Rebeka, Charles Castronovo, George Petean (OPERA NEWS “CRITIC'S CHOICE”)
WATCH
KONTAKT
General Management:
+49 (0) 89-44429597
info[at]primafila-artists.com
https://www.primafila-artists.com
USA / Canada:
ENCOMPASS ARTS
Kathy Olsen
+1 (646) 552 - 3959
kathy[at]encompassarts.com