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