SCHONWANDT, MICHAEL (b 1953 )

Michael Schønwandt was born in 1953, and is Chief Conductor at the Royal Theatre inCopenhagen and of the Royal Danish Orchestra. Since his début in the Tivoli Gardens in 1977 he has been one of the most sought-after conductors of his generation. He has been Chief Conductor of Collegium Musicum from the founding of the orchestra in 1981. In 1987-91 Schønwandt was Principal Guest Conductor of the opera and symphony orchestra in Nice, and in 1989-2000 he was Principal Guest Conductor of the Danish National Symphony Orchestra/DR. Finally, in 1992-98 he was Chief Conductor of the Berlin Symphony Orchestra.

Besides his permanent connection with Danish musical life he appears regularly with the leading orchestras of Europe. The Berlin Philharmonic, the Philharmonia Orchestra in London, the French Radio Symphony Orchestra, the London Symphony Orchestra, l’Orchestre National de France and the BBC Symphony Orchestra are just some of the orchestras he has conducted in recent years. The opera houses in London, Paris, Vienna, Brussels, Nice and Stuttgart have also been regular ports of call for him. In 1987 and 1988 he was the first Scandinavian conductor ever to conduct at the Wagner Festspiele in Bayreuth. He headed last season’s successful performances of Wagner’s The Ring of the Nibelung the Royal Theatre in Copenhagen, where he has conducted a succession of operas since 1979.

He was actually supposed to take over his father’s textile dye agency. But instead Michael Schønwandt (b. 1953) became one of Denmark’s finest equilibrists with musical colours. From the conductor’s stand he is able to get musicians to play on the whole palette of sounds.

Albums featuring this artist are available for download from ClassicsOnline.com
BEETHOVEN: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 3	BIS-CD-429
BEETHOVEN: Piano Concertos Nos. 2 & 4	BIS-CD-349
Danish Golden Age Music	8.224020
DER ER ET YNDIGT LAND	8.224141
DUPUY: Ungdom Og Galskab / Flute Concerto	8.224066-67
GADE, N.: Elverskud / Fruhlings-Phantasie	8.224051
GADE, N.: Symphonies Nos. 1 and 2	DCCD 9201
GADE, N.: Symphonies Nos. 3 and 5	DCCD 9004
GADE, N.: Symphonies Nos. 4 and 6	DCCD 9202
GADE, N.: Symphonies Nos. 7 and 8	DCCD 9301
GADE: Elverskud / Fruhlings-Phantasie	8.554958
GADE: Symphonies	8.554954
GADE: Symphonies	8.554956
GUDMUNDSEN-HOLMGREEN: For Cello and Orchestra / Concerto Grosso / Frere Jacques	8.224060
HANSEN, Ib: Kongelig Kammersanger (1959 - 1983)	8.112003
HARTMANN, J.P.E.: Liden Kirsten (Little Christine)	8.224106-07
HOLMBOE: Requiem for Nietzsche	8.224207
LANGE-MULLER: Der var Engang	8.224084
LANGE-MULLER: Renaissance / I Alhambra	8.224109
MOZART: Piano Concertos	BIS-CD-283
MOZART: Violin Concertos Nos. 3 & 5	BIS-CD-282
NIELSEN, C.: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 6	8.224169
NIELSEN, C.: Symphonies Nos. 2 and 3	8.224126
NIELSEN, C.: Symphonies Nos. 4 and 5	8.224156
NIELSEN, C.: Symphonies, Vol. 1 - Nos. 1, 6 (Schonwandt)	8.570737
NIELSEN, C.: Symphonies, Vol. 2 - Nos. 2, 3 (Schonwandt)	8.570738
NIELSEN: Complete Symphonies / The Light and the Darkness (NTSC)	2.110403-05
NIELSEN: Maskarade (Royal Danish Opera, 2006) (NTSC)	2.110407
RUDERS: Handmaid's Tale (The)	8.224165-66
RUDERS: Solar Trilogy	8.224054
RUDERS: Symphony No. 2 / Piano Concerto	8.224125
RUDERS: Violin Concerto No. 2 / 'Dramaphonia'	DCCD 9308
TARP: Te Deum / Symphony No. 7 / Piano Concerto	DCCD 9005
WEYSE: Christmas and Easter Cantatas	8.224049
WEYSE: Christmas and Easter Cantatas	8.554962
WEYSE: Symphonies Nos. 1-3	8.224012
WEYSE: Symphonies Nos. 4 and 5	8.224013
WEYSE: Symphonies Nos. 6 and 7	8.224014
WEYSE: Symphonies Nos. 6 and 7	8.550516