CHRONOLOGICAL BIOGRAPHY

2024/25

Opera productions:
Ella Milch-Sheriff: Alma, Volksoper Vienna
Ligeti: Le Grand Macabre, Teatro Massimo Palermo
Strauss: Salome, Teatro Massimo Palermo
Bizet: Carmen, Opera di Roma

Debut:
Wroclaw Philharmonic
Orchestre de Paris
Orchestre National Capitol Toulouse

2023/24

Opera productions:
Strauss: Salome, Volksoper Wien
Vincenzo Bellini: I Capuleti e i Montecchi, Teatro Massimo Palermo
Wagner: Tristan und Isolde, Teatro Massimo Palermo

Debut:
Prag Radio Symphony Orchestra
Teatro d’ell Opera di Roma
Hamburg State Opera

Tour:
Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, with Hilary Hahn
Wiener Symphoniker

2023

Hebrew book launch “ארבע פעמים התעלף חיים בירקנר”, published by Keren Publishing House

2022/23

Opera productions:
Tschaikowski: Jolanthe und der Nussknacker, Volksoper Wien
Mozart: Die Zauberflöte, Volksoper Wien
Puccini: La Bohème, Volksoper Wien
Kaiserrequiem, Teatro Massimo Palermo
Tschaikowski: Eugen Onegin, Teatro Massimo Palermo
Wagner: Lohengrin, Staatsoper Wien

Debut:
Boston Symphony Orchestra

Tour:
Wiener Symphoniker

2022

Music Director of the Volksoper Wien
„Rudi-Häussler-Preis“ of the Stiftung Semperoper
French book launch “Les Absences de Haïm Birkner”, published by Éditions du sous-sol

2021

Italian book launch “Storia vera e non vera di Chaim Birkner”, published by Sellerio Editore
Special Prize of the prestigious Italian Associazione Nazionale Critici Musicali (National Association of Music Critics).
Cielo d’Alcamo Literary Prize for the Italian publication of his novel Die vier Ohnmachten des Chaim Birkner (Berlin Verlag, 2019)

2021/22

Opera productions:
Bizet: Carmen, Teatro Massimo Palermo
Bizet: Carmen, Wiener Staatsoper
Verdi: Les Vêpres siciliennes, Teatro Massimo Palermo
Mozart: Don Giovanni, Semperoper Dresden
Mozart: Cosí fan tutte, Semperoper Dresden
Puccini: Madama Butterfly, Semperoper Dresden
Mozart: Le Nozze di Figaro, Semperoper Dresden
Verdi: Aida, Semperoper Dresden

Debut:
Portrait Artist of the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival
Orchestre National de France

2020/21

Opera productions:
Mozart: Die Zauberflöte, Semperoper Dresden
Erath/Wellber: Il crepuscolo dei sogni,  Teatro Massimo Palermo

Debut:
Wiener Symphoniker
Bregenzer Festspiele

2020

Music Director of the Teatro Massimo in Palermo

2019/20

Opera productions:
Ligeti: Le Grand Macabre, Semperoper Dresden
Wagner: Parsifal, Teatro Massimo Palermo

Debuts:
Münchner Philharmoniker
Netherlands Radio Philharmonic
Filarmonica Arturo Toscanini
DR Symfoniorkestret Copenhagen
Teatro della Verdura, Festival Palermo

2019

Chief Conductor of the BBC Philharmonic

2019

German Book Launch “Die vier Ohnmachten des Chaim Birkner”, published by BerlinVerlag

2018/19

Opera productions:
Bizet: Carmen, Metropolitan Opera New York
Strauss: Rosenkavalier, Semperoper Dresden
Wagner: Tannhäuser, Semperoper Dresden
Verdi: Nabucco, Semperoper Dresden

Debuts:
Metropolitan Opera
NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester
Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen

Tour:
Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen

2018

Principal Guest Conductor Semperoper Dresden

2017/18

Opera productions:
Verdi: Les Vêpres siciliennes, Bavarian State Opera
Puccini: Madama Butterfly, Glyndebourne

Debuts:
Houston Symphony Orchestra
Mahler Chamber Orchestra
SWR Symphonieorchester
BBC Philharmonic

2017

Book Launch of “Die Angst, das Risiko und die Liebe – Momente mit Mozart”, published by Ecowin-Verlag

2016/17

Opera productions:
Strauss: Salome, Semperoper Dresden
Wagner: Tannhäuser, Teatro La Fenice
Giordano: Andrea Chenier, Bavarian State Opera Munich
Massenet: Werther, Teatro Massimo Palermo

Debuts:
Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin
Orchestra National de Lyon
Tonhalle-Orchestra Zurich
Sao Paolo Symphony Orchestra
WDR Sinfonieorchester

2015/16

Opera productions:
Boito: Mefistofele, Bavarian State Opera
Verdi: La forza del destino, L’Arena di Verona
Offenbach: Hoffmanns Erzählungen, Teatro La Fenice
Mozart: Don Giovanni, Semperoper Dresden

Debuts:
City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
Salzburg Camerata
Orchestra del Teatro comunale di Bologna
Sveriges Radios Symfoniorkester

Residency:
Israel Philharmonic Orchestra at the Dresdner Musikfestspiele

2014/15

Opera productions:
Rossini: Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Israeli Opera
Bizet: Carmen, Bavarian State Opera
Bellini: I Capuleti e i Montecchi, La Fenice Venice
Donizetti: Don Pasquale, La Fenice Venice
Verdi: La Traviata, La Fenice Venice
Mozart: Le Nozze di Figaro, Semperoper Dresden

Debuts:
Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
Gewandhausorchester Leipzig

2013/14

Opera productions:
Puccini: Madama Butterfly, La Fenice Venice
Donizetti: Don Pasquale, Teatro Filarmonico Verona
Strauss: Guntram, Semperoper Dresden
Strauss: Ariadne auf Naxos, Semperoper Dresden
Mozart: Così fan tutte Semperoper Dresden, Stage Director: Andreas Kriegenburg
Verdi: Macbeth, Verona
Tchaikovsky: Eugene Onegin, Glyndebourne debut

Debut:
London Philharmonic Orchestra

2012/13

Opera productions:
Verdi: Rigoletto, Valencia
Verdi: I due Foscari, Valencia
Rossini: Il barbiere di Siviglia, Valencia
Verdi: La Traviata, Bavarian State Opera
Bizet: Carmen, La Fenice Venice
Donizetti: L’elisir d’amore, La Fenice Venice
Verdi: Aida, La Scala
Verdi: Il Trovatore, Theater an der Wien, Stage Director: Philipp Stölzl
Verdi: Otello, Israeli Opera Tel Aviv
Verdi: Aida, Verona, Stage direction: La Fura dels Baus

Debuts:
Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della RAI, Turin
HR-Sinfonieorchester
Orchestra della Fenice
NDR Radiophilharmonie, Hannover
Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin
Orchestra del Teatro Massimo, Palermo
Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Firenze

2011/12

Opera productions:


De Falla: La vida breve – El amor brujo, Valencia
Mussorgsky: Boris Godunov, Valencia
Puccini: Tosca, Valencia
Verdi: Rigoletto, Valencia
Puccini: Tosca, La Scala
Puccini: Tosca, Teatro Massimo in Palermo
Verdi: La Traviata, Staatsoper Berlin
Verdi: La Traviata, Theater an der Wien

Debuts:

Orchestre de Paris

Filarmonica della Scala

2010/11

Opera productions:
Strauss: Daphne, Semperoper Dresden
Strauss: Salome, Saito Kinen Festival in Matsumoto
Puccini: Tosca, Staatsoper Berlin
Verdi: Aida, Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia Valencia
Tchaikovsky: Eugen Onegin, Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia Valencia
Donizetti: L’elisir D’amore, Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia Valencia
Verdi: Rigoletto, Theater an der Wien

Debuts:

Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia in Valencia
Maggio Musicale Fiorentino
La Fenice in Venice

2010 – 2014

Music Director of Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia in Valencia

From 2009

Music Director of the Raanana Symphonette Orchestra

2009/10

Opera productions:

Verdi: Aida at Israeli Opera, Tel Aviv, Orchestra della Scala

Verdi: Il Trovatore, Teatro Verdi, Padova

Bizet: Carmen, Staatsoper Berlin

2008–2010

Assistant to Daniel Barenboim at Staatsoper Berlin and at Teatro alla Scala

2008

Opera productions:

Verdi: Aida, Teatro Verdi, Padova

2007

Debuts:
Israel Philharmonic Orchestra

Bejing Philharmonic Orchestra in Beijing, China

2005–2008

Opera productions at Israeli Opera, Tel Aviv:

Verdi: La Traviata

Verdi: La forza del destino

Puccini: Turandot

Puccini: Madama Butterfly

Ponchielli: La Gioconda

Donizetti: L’elisir D’amore

Verdi: Il Trovatore

Mozart: Cosi fan tutte

Boito: Mefistofele

Janáček: The Cunning Little Vixen

Mozart: The Magic Flute

Verdi: Un Ballo in Maschera

Gounod: Faust

Verdi: Rigoletto
Verdi: Requiem

2004

World premiere of his Viola Concerto  with Amihai Grosz, Viola and the Israel Chamber Orchestra

Debut:

Raanana Symphonette Orchestra

2000–2008

Conducting and Composing studies at the Jerusalem Music Academy, with Eugene Zirlin (M.A.), Graduation in Prof. Mendi Rodan’s program

1999–2004

Full scholarship for excelled musicians from the America-Israel Cultural Foundation

First conducting of orchestras to perform own compositions:

Israeli Sinfonietta
Israel Chamber Orchestra
Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra
Haifa Symphony Orchestra
Israel Symphony Orchestra of Rishon Le’Zion

His compositions are performed by several other ensembles

1999

Graduation from the Be’er Sheva Conservatory

1986 – 2004

Musical education, lessons in accordion and piano

1986

Start of his musical education, lessons in accordion and piano

1981

Born in Be’er Sheva, Israel. His ancestors came from Russia and Germany