Ben Glassberg has been appointed the new Music Director of the Volksoper Wien as of 1 January 2024. The Brit was previously Principal Guest Conductor and led the premiere of The Merry Wives of Windsor to great success last season. This season, he will conduct two more premieres, West Side Story and Die lustige Witwe.
British conductor Ben Glassberg is fast becoming one of the most sought after conductors on the global stage. Described as conducting with ‘irresistible panache’ (The Guardian), his meticulously sophisticated interpretations of an extensive opera and symphonic repertoire are consistently praised for providing fresh insights and perspectives.
Ben Glassberg is also Music Director of the Opéra de Rouen Normandie and former Associate Guest Conductor of the Orchestre National de Lyon. From 2019 - 2021 he was Principal Conductor of the Glyndebourne Tour.
Recent and upcoming operatic highlights include his house debuts at the Deutsche Oper Berlin and Théâtre des Champs-Elysées with Bizet's Carmen, as well as conducting Carmen, Mozart's Don Giovanni and Wagner's Tristan und Isolde at the Opéra de Rouen Normandie and titles including Puccini's La bohème, Humperdinck's Hänsel und Gretel and a new production of Bernstein's West Side Story at the Volksoper Wien. Symphonic highlights of the 2023/24 season include Glassberg’s debut with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and a return to the Teatro Massimo di Palermo.
Ben Glassberg new Music Director of the Volksoper Wien
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QUOTE BEN GLASSBERG
«I am over the moon to be taking up the role of Music Director at my beloved Volksoper. I have never felt such energy and warmth in a theatre before and am inspired by my colleagues on a daily basis. This house is such an exciting place to be at the moment and I cannot wait to continue building its future with Lotte de Beer and the amazing team.»
QUOTE LOTTE DE BEER
«Ben and Volksoper are a match made in heaven on so many levels: His broad musical taste which spans from musical theatre to Wagner and everything in between, is an ideal match for the diverse genres we perform in this house. In his music making he is both meticulously demanding about every little detail, and bold in his fresh and daring approach. At the same time his deeply personal way of connecting with every member of this opera house is a truly inspiring kind of leadership which is exactly what fits our Volksoper family.»
At the Volksoper, Ben Glassberg will conduct the premieres of West Side Story und Die lustige Witwe this season. He will also conduct various repertoire productions, such as Hänsel & Gretel.