Marc Albrecht
“Albrecht brings magic of his own to the evening; there are few who can match his clarity, intelligence, elegance, and shrewd ability to balance brisk transparency with moments of ecstasy.”
- Financial Times, April 2025
Chief Conductor to Antwerp Symphony
Sought after in both symphonic and opera repertoire, Marc Albrecht is highly regarded for his outstanding interpretations of Romantic and 20th century works, as well as his championing of contemporary music.
This season, Marc Albrecht takes up the position of Chief Conductor of Antwerp Symphony Orchestra. He leads the orchestra in engagements including a tour to Spain, a celebration of the 10th Anniversary of the new Queen Elizabeth Hall in Antwerp, as well as a varied series of symphonic concerts. Further highlights of the 2026/27 season include engagements with Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Del Teatro Di San Carlo, and a production of Salome at Deutsche Oper. He conducts Staatskapelle Weimar, RAI National Symphony Orchestra in Turin, Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, and Orquesta de Valencia.
Albrecht has appeared at many of the world’s leading opera houses, among them Royal Opera House, Deutscher Oper Berlin, La Scala, Opéra de Paris, Bayerische Staatsoper, and Semperoper Dresden. In recent seasons, Albrecht has led orchestras such as Berliner Philharmoniker, Orchestre National de France, Gulbenkian Orchestra, NHK Symphony Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, and Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra.
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Albrecht’s significant discography shows his passion for reviving lesser-known works. His most recent recording, Zemlinsky’s Eine florentinische Tragödie with Dutch National Opera/Netherlands Philharmonic was released on Pentatone in April 2024 to critical acclaim. In 2021 Albrecht received the OPUS KLASSIK “Conductor of the Year” for his recording of Zemlinsky’s Die Seejungfrau (Pentatone) with Dutch National Opera/Netherlands Philharmonic, and in 2020 he received “Best Opera Recording (20th/21st Century)” for Korngold’s Das Wunder der Heliane (Naxos) with Deutsche Oper.
In 2019, Albrecht was named “Conductor of the Year” at the International Opera Awards, and under his tenure as Chief Conductor, the Dutch National Opera was awarded “Opera Company of the Year” in 2016. In 2020 he was appointed Knight of the Order of the Dutch Lion for his services to the arts. His very early career was under the mentorship of Claudio Abbado. Following his time as répétiteur at the Vienna and Hamburg State Operas, Albrecht became Abbado’s assistant and played a key role in establishing the Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra. In 1995, he was appointed General Music Director of Staatstheater Darmstadt, following his tenure as First Kapellmeister at Semperoper Dresden.
Contacts
Katie Cardell-Oliver Director, Artist Management
“Febrile, more impassioned, with Marc Albrecht – an established specialist in this repertoire from the first decades of the 20th century – unafraid to unleash his orchestra to full effect.”
“Marc Albrecht extracts such colourful and impassioned playing from the Netherlands Philharmonic that the opera’s hot-house score still dazzles.”
“Under the intense direction of Marc Albrecht, the Bavarian State Orchestra performed Janácek’s music with captivating, often overwhelming beauty and expressiveness.”
