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Titus Engel

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Titus Engel(born 1975) is a Swiss conductor with a focus on both contemporary opera and Baroque opera inhistorically informed performance.

Education

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Born inZürich,Engel first studiedmusicologyand philosophy at theUniversity of Zurichand at theHumboldt University of Berlin,graduating with a master's degree. He then began studying conducting withChristian Kluttigat theHochschule für Musik Carl Maria von WeberDresden. He subsequently attendedmaster classeswith SirColin Davis,Peter Eötvösand Ilja Mussin. Grants from theDirigentenforum[de]of theDeutscher Musikrat(2002–2005)[1]and the foundation ofDavid Zinman's American Academy of Conducting at Aspen complemented his training. Furthermore, he worked as assistant toSylvain Cambreling,Marc AlbrechtandPeter Rundel.[2]

Career

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Engel made his opera debut in 2000 with the world premiere of Benjamin Schweitzer'sJakob von Guntenat theDresdner Tage der zeitgenössischen Musik[de].Since then, he has directed many performances in different genres at various stages, for example Monteverdi'sL'Orfeoat theRadialsystem[de]Berlin and at theTheater an der Wien,several operas at theKampnagelHamburg and in theStaatstheater Stuttgartup to Glass'Akhnatenat theVlaamse Opera.At the invitation ofGerard Mortier,he made his debut at theTeatro Real Madridwith the world premiere ofPilar Jurado's La página en blancoimin February 2011, where he is now a regular guest: in 2014, he conducted the worldpremiereof Charles Wuorinen's operaBrokeback Mountain.[3]In June 2016, he conducted the Swiss premiere and third complete performance ever ofStockhausen'sDonnerstagfrom the cycleLichtat theTheater Basel.[4]The production received the award "Performance of the Year" in the critics' poll of theOpernwelt2016.[5]

Engel has conducted numerous renowned orchestras such as the orchestra of theParis Opéra,the Orchestra of the Deutsche Oper Berlin, theMozarteum Orchestra Salzburg,severalRadio orchestras,the Orquesta Sinfónica de Castilla y León, theBern Symphony Orchestra,theMahler Chamber Orchestra,the Danish National Chamber Orchestra as well as severalchamber orchestrasin southern Germany and Switzerland. He is also regularly invited to perform with leading ensembles forcontemporary music.From 2000 to 2012, he wasmusical directorof theensemble courage.[6]He has premiered numerous works (Sergej Newski,Leo Dick,Elena Mendoza,Olga Neuwirth,Michael Wertmüller[de],Rebecca Saunders) among others by theRuhrTriennale,theBerliner Festspiele,theLucerne Festival,theMaerzMusik,theDonaueschinger Musiktage,theSalzburg Festivaland the Opera d'hoy Madrid.

Projects in 2017 included the world premieres of Elena Mendoza's operaLa ciudad de las mentirasausat the Teatro Real Madrid and Mozart'sLa Betulia Liberataat theOper Frankfurt.[7]The world premiere ofInfinite Now[de]byChaya Czernowinat the Vlaanderen Opera and theNationaltheater Mannheimwas chosen as "Premiere of the Year" by Opernwelt in 2017.

Die Deutsche Bühnedescribed him as a "conducting dervish" who safely guided all actors through breakneck rapids.[8]

Recordings

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Engel has recorded numerous works for radio, television and CDs, includingWERGOBenjamin Schweitzer'schamber musicwith ensemble courage and the Project 21 prelude, with works by H. Pohjanorro, P. Haapanen, R. Gubler and C. Neidhöfer, ensemble courage at en-avant records.[9]In collaboration with ZDF-ARTE, he realised several first recordings of historical and contemporary silent film music.[10] The recording of the premiere of the operaBrokeback Mountainwas released as a DVD in autumn 2015.[11]

Awards

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  • 2003: Fellow der American Academy of Conducting Aspen under the direction of David Zinman
  • 2002–2005: Sponsorship by the German Music Council (Dirigentenforum).
  • 2016: "Performance of the Year" withDonnerstagfromLichtat the Opernwelt critics' poll
  • 2020: "Conductor of the Year" in the Opernwelt critics' poll (together with Kirill Petrenko).[12]

Trivia

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Together with Viktor Schoner, Engel initiated the Academy Musiktheater Heute and the Ligerzer Opernwerkstatt[13]He is the editor of several books on contemporary opera.

Publications

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  • Generation-Oper: fünfzehn junge Kommentare zur Situation der Oper;Titus Engel, Stefan Fragner, Viktor Schoner; Pfau, 2001[1]
  • Libretto: zeitgenössische Positionen von Komponisten, Schriftstellern und Interpreten zur Ligerzer Opernwerkstatt 2005;Titus Engel, Viktor Schoner; Pfau, 2006[2]
  • Zeitgenössische Komische Oper: Positionen von Komponisten, Schriftstellern und Interpreten zur 3. Ligerzer Opernwerkstatt 2007;Titus Engel; Pfau, 2010[3]

References

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  1. ^Dirigentenforum.de – Orchesterdirigentenretrieved 24 January 2021
  2. ^Oper-Stuttgart.de – Spielplan – Wozzeck – Titus Engelretrieved 24 January 2021
  3. ^Srf. ch – Programmungen -Musikmagazin – Titus Engelretrieved 24 January 2021
  4. ^Concerti.de – Opernguide Theater Basel,retrieved 24 January 2021
  5. ^"Musik:" Opernhaus des Jahres ": Stuttgart zum sechsten Mal vorn".Zeit Online.29 September 2016.Retrieved24 January2021.
  6. ^"Ensemble Courage".
  7. ^Titus Engelon Operabase
  8. ^"Die Deutsche Bühne".
  9. ^"Auftakt Start of Project 21: Gubler, Ha".Amazon Germany.
  10. ^Nmz.de – Onlineretrieved 24 January 2021
  11. ^"DVD-Rezension Titus Engel | in der ersten Reihe".20 October 2016.
  12. ^"Titel" Opernhaus des Jahres "geht an Genf und Frankfurt".
  13. ^report from 2008 in the NMZ,retrieved 24 January 2021
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