Waltz Symphony
Concert
27. Nov 2025
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Born in Cologne, Johannes Kalitzke studied church music, piano (Aloys
Kontarsky), conducting (Wolfgang von der Nahmer), composition (York
Höller) and electronic music (Hans Ulrich Humpert). He received a
scholarship from Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes for studying at
IRCAM in Paris, with Vinko Globokar.
In 1984 he had his first engagement as conductor at Musiktheater im
Revier in Gelsenkirchen, where he subsequently worked as Kapellmeister and later as principal conductor until 1990. He is co-founder of
musikFabrik NRW and became its artistic director and principal conductor in 1991.
Johannes Kalitzke appears worldwide as conductor and composer and is a regular guest of ensembles like Klangforum
Wien, Collegium Novum, Ensemble Modern as well as numerous symphony orchestras such as NDR Elbphilharmonieorchester, BBC London, SWR Symphonieorchester, MDR Leipzig, HR Frankfurt, Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen
Rundfunks, DSO and RSB Berlin and RSO Wien. In addition, he has conducted opera projects at Staatsoper Unter den
Linden, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Komische Oper Berlin, Staatstheater Stuttgart, Wiener Festwochen, Münchner Biennale,
Nationaltheater Mannheim, Theater an der Wien, Theater Basel and Salzburger Festspiele. Tours in Russia, Japan and
America as well as numerous CD-recordings complete his extensive activity as a performer of classical and contemporary music.
As a composer Kalitzke received commissions from Donaueschinger Musiktage, Ultraschall Berlin, Wittener Tage für
Neue Musik, Musica Viva and numerous radio orchestras. In addition, the Augsburg Philharmonic commissioned orchestral music for the silent film Die Weber (1927) in 2011. Kalitzke’s first opera Bericht über den Tod des Musikers Jack
Tiergarten was performed at Münchner Biennale 1996, followed by Molière oder die Henker des Komödianten in Schleswig Holstein, Inferno (based on a play by Peter Weiss) at Theater Bremen, an opera based on Witold Gombrowicz’ novel
Die Besessenen at Theater an der Wien in 2010, Pym (based on the novel by Edgard Allan Poe) at Theater Heidelberg in
2016, and most recently by Kapitän Nemos Bibliothek for the Festivals in Schwetzingen and Bregenz in 2022.
Kalitzke’s numerous teaching activities include seminars at Folkwanghochschule Essen and Hannover, at Darmstädter
Ferienkurse and for the Deutscher Musikrat, as well as conducting classes at Sommerakademie Salzburg, Raina-Sofía
Musikhochschule Madrid and Musikhochschule Zürich. In 2015 he was appointed Professor at the
Mozarteum Salzburg.
Johannes Kalitzke has received many prizes and awards including Bernd-Alois-Zimmermann-Preis from the city of Cologne and a scholarship for Villa Massimo in 2003. He has been a member of the Academy of Arts in Berlin since 2009
and Bavarian Academy of Fine Arts since 2015.
Recent and upcoming projects lead him to the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Opera Ballet Vlaanderen, Theater Dortmund (György Kurtág’s Fin de Partie), and Sofia Philharmonic. Furthermore, he continues to focus
on orchestral music for Expressionist silent film, like recently Hoffmanns Erzählungen for Max Neufeld’s film with the
Konzerthausorchester Berlin.
Born in Cologne, Johannes Kalitzke studied church music, piano (Aloys
Kontarsky), conducting (Wolfgang von der Nahmer), composition (York
Höller) and electronic music (Hans Ulrich Humpert). He received a
scholarship from Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes for studying at
IRCAM in Paris, with Vinko Globokar.
In 1984 he had his first engagement as conductor at Musiktheater im
Revier in Gelsenkirchen, where he subsequently worked as Kapellmeister and later as principal conductor until 1990. He is co-founder of
musikFabrik NRW and became its artistic director and principal conductor in 1991.
Johannes Kalitzke appears worldwide as conductor and composer and is a regular guest of ensembles like Klangforum
Wien, Collegium Novum, Ensemble Modern as well as numerous symphony orchestras such as NDR Elbphilharmonieorchester, BBC London, SWR Symphonieorchester, MDR Leipzig, HR Frankfurt, Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen
Rundfunks, DSO and RSB Berlin and RSO Wien. In addition, he has conducted opera projects at Staatsoper Unter den
Linden, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Komische Oper Berlin, Staatstheater Stuttgart, Wiener Festwochen, Münchner Biennale,
Nationaltheater Mannheim, Theater an der Wien, Theater Basel and Salzburger Festspiele. Tours in Russia, Japan and
America as well as numerous CD-recordings complete his extensive activity as a performer of classical and contemporary music.
As a composer Kalitzke received commissions from Donaueschinger Musiktage, Ultraschall Berlin, Wittener Tage für
Neue Musik, Musica Viva and numerous radio orchestras. In addition, the Augsburg Philharmonic commissioned orchestral music for the silent film Die Weber (1927) in 2011. Kalitzke’s first opera Bericht über den Tod des Musikers Jack
Tiergarten was performed at Münchner Biennale 1996, followed by Molière oder die Henker des Komödianten in Schleswig Holstein, Inferno (based on a play by Peter Weiss) at Theater Bremen, an opera based on Witold Gombrowicz’ novel
Die Besessenen at Theater an der Wien in 2010, Pym (based on the novel by Edgard Allan Poe) at Theater Heidelberg in
2016, and most recently by Kapitän Nemos Bibliothek for the Festivals in Schwetzingen and Bregenz in 2022.
Kalitzke’s numerous teaching activities include seminars at Folkwanghochschule Essen and Hannover, at Darmstädter
Ferienkurse and for the Deutscher Musikrat, as well as conducting classes at Sommerakademie Salzburg, Raina-Sofía
Musikhochschule Madrid and Musikhochschule Zürich. In 2015 he was appointed Professor at the
Mozarteum Salzburg.
Johannes Kalitzke has received many prizes and awards including Bernd-Alois-Zimmermann-Preis from the city of Cologne and a scholarship for Villa Massimo in 2003. He has been a member of the Academy of Arts in Berlin since 2009
and Bavarian Academy of Fine Arts since 2015.
Recent and upcoming projects lead him to the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Opera Ballet Vlaanderen, Theater Dortmund (György Kurtág’s Fin de Partie), and Sofia Philharmonic. Furthermore, he continues to focus
on orchestral music for Expressionist silent film, like recently Hoffmanns Erzählungen for Max Neufeld’s film with the
Konzerthausorchester Berlin.
