MichaelSchønwandt

Born in Copenhagen, Michael Schønwandt was Music Director of the Royal Danish Orchestra and the Royal Danish Opera from 2000 to 2011 and has been associated with the company since 1979. In 2010 he took up the position of Chief Conductor of the Netherlands Radio Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra, and has held posts as Chief Conductor of the Berliner Sinfonie-Orchester (now the Konzerthausorchester) and the Netherlands Radio Chamber Philharmonic. Michael has also been Principal Guest Conductor of the Staatstheater Stuttgart, La Monnaie, Danish National Radio Symphony and Royal Flanders Philharmonic. He was Principal Conductor of the Opéra Orchestre National de Montpellier from 2015 to 2023, and has been Associate Conductor of the Belgian National Orchestra since 2022.

Michael has conducted a vast operatic repertoire at leading opera houses around the world, including Royal Opera House Covent Garden, La Monnaie, Wiener Staatsoper, Opéra National de Paris, Staatsoper Stuttgart, Deutsche Oper Berlin and Bayreuth Festspielhaus. He has a very active concert career and has worked with all of the major European orchestras.

Michael is regarded as one of the leading exponents of Carl Nielsen’s music, and has recorded all the composer's symphonies and concertos. He has also recorded the complete symphonies of Gade and Weyse, and his interest in contemporary music has led him to conduct many world premieres by Danish composers. Other world premieres include Henze's Violin Concerto No.3 with the Berliner Sinfonie-Orchester, György Kurtág's Concertante and Poul Ruders’ operas Dancer in the Dark and The Handmaid’s Tale for the Royal Danish Opera.