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 Designate to Antwerp Symphony (Chief Conductor from 2026/27 season)
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.
Currently Chief Conductor Designate of the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra, Albrecht will fully assume the position from the 2026/27 season. From 2011 to 2020, he served as Chief Conductor of the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra and Dutch National Opera, where his tenure featured notable productions including Schoenberg’s Gurre-Lieder, Strauss’ Arabella, and Zemlinsky’s Die Seejungfrau, as well as an award-winning recording of Berg’s Wozzeck.
Albrecht regularly appears at many of the world’s leading opera houses, among them the Royal Opera House, La Scala, Opéra de Paris, Bayerische Staatsoper, and Semperoper Dresden. His symphonic engagements include the Berliner Philharmoniker, Münchner Philharmoniker, Orchestre National de France, Gulbenkian Orchestra, Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della RAI, NHK Symphony Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, and Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra. He has also been a frequent guest at major festivals such as Bayreuth, Salzburg, and Aix-en-Provence, as well as the BBC Proms.
See More
Highlights of the 2025/26 season include both Wagner’s Lohengrin and a revival of Schreker’s Der Schatzgräber at the Deutsche Oper Berlin. At Oper Köln, he conducts new productions of Wagner’s Das Rheingold and Die Walküre directed by Paul-Georg Dittrich. Albrecht also appears at the Ultraschall Festival in Berlin with the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin and leads the Dresdner Philharmonie, Orquesta Sinfónica de Castilla y León, Real Orquesta Sinfónica de Sevilla, Orquestra Sinfônica do Estado de São Paulo, and the Filarmónica de Buenos Aires at the Teatro Colón.
Albrecht’s significant discography shows his passion for reviving lesser-known works. His most recent recording, Zemlinsky’s Eine florentinische Tragödie with the Dutch National Opera/Netherlands Philharmonic was released on Pentatone in April 2024 to critical acclaim. In 2021 Albrecht was awarded 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.
During Albrecht’s tenure as Chief Conductor, the Dutch National Opera was named “Opera Company of the Year” (2016) at the International Opera Awards, and 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 the Staatstheater Darmstadt, following his tenure as First Kapellmeister at the Semperoper Dresden.
Contacts
Katie Cardell-Oliver Director, Artist Management
“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.”
