MARCUS
MERKEL

Conductor, Composer, Pianist

„... one of the most interesting young German conductors of the present day ...“

— MDR Klassik

Marcus Merkel was born in Berlin and has been the Chief Conductor at Theater Koblenz since the 2022/23 season. He also performs as a pianist and composer. Besides guest conducting in Antwerp, Dresden, Madrid, Munich, Kyoto (Japan), Berlin, and Amsterdam, he has worked with soloists such as Jonas Kaufmann, Elina Garanča, Erwin Schrott, and Kristine Opolais. Sir Bryn Terfel & Ludovic Tézier rely on him as a conductor for their concert evenings.

Since youth work and supporting young musicians are highly important to him, he founded the "Junge Philharmonie Berlin" and the "Junge Konzerte Graz" and works with Jeunesse Austria.

In the 2025/26 season, he will make his debut at the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, with the Jenaer Philharmonie and the Brucknerorchester Linz with symphony concerts, returns to the Dresden Semperoper with a series of performances of Die Fledermaus, and makes his debut with the RSO Wien with a CD production featuring the Austrian star baritone Rafael Fingerlos.

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Schedule

Marcus Merkel at Antwerp Symphony (c) Antwerp Symphony & Bjorn Comhaire
Sat
27
Dec
Strauß

Die Fledermaus | Semperoper Dresden

Operetta
1st performance
19:00 – 22:00
Production: Strauß: Die Fledermaus
Semperoper Dresden Theaterplatz 2, 01067 Dresden, DeutschlandMaps
"Effervescent irony combined with a sparkling champagne mood to the sounds of the waltz."

Operetta in three acts
Text version after Carl Haffner and Richard Genée based on the vaudeville Le Réveillon by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy

In German with German and English surtitles

Gabriel von Eisenstein Christoph Pohl
Rosalinde Elissa Huber
Alfred Mario Lerchenberger
Prince Orlofsky Valerie Eickhoff
Adele Katrina Galka
Dr Falke Anton Beliaev
Frank Markus Marquardt
Dr Blind Gerald Hupach
Ida Cornelia Butz, Gundula Rosenkranz
Frog Wolfgang Stumph

Musical direction Marcus Merkel
Production Günter Krämer
Stage Gisbert Jäkel
Costumes Falk Bauer
Lighting Jan Seeger
Choreography Otto Pichler
Choir Jan Hoffmann
Saxon State Opera Choir Dresden
Saxon State Orchestra Dresden
semperoper.de
Thu
01
Jan

Neujahrskonzert "È tutto amore" | Theater Koblenz

Concert
17:00 – 20:00
Rhein-Mosel-Halle - Großer Saal Julius-Wegeler-Straße 4, 56068 Koblenz, DeutschlandMaps
"Love is the heartbeat of the whole universe" - in Giuseppe Verdi's "La Traviata", this is the world-explaining recognition of that powerful feeling we call love. There has always been an exceptionally happy relationship between the partners of music and love. The former comforts the latter or cheers her on, expressing her emotions in words and sounds. Love, in turn, returns these gestures by providing inspiration and material for musical masterpieces - and has done so since the beginning of time.

As we enter the year 2026, Koblenz Theatre and the Staatsorchester Rheinische Philharmonie invite you to a festive New Year's concert in homage to love - in all its guises. Whether sombre or effervescent, reciprocated or unheard: there is a suitable soundtrack for all facets of this most diverse and most sung-about of all emotions. In a programme that ranges from opera and operetta to musicals, chief conductor Marcus Merkel and soloists from Koblenz Theatre perform an impressive array of the most beautiful love songs and arias.

As presenter, artistic director Markus Dietze will accompany the audience through this homage to love in a witty and warm manner into the new, undescribed year.
Fri
02
Jan
Strauß

Die Fledermaus | Semperoper Dresden

Operetta
2nd performance
19:00 – 22:00
Production: Strauß: Die Fledermaus
Semperoper Dresden Theaterplatz 2, 01067 Dresden, DeutschlandMaps
"Effervescent irony combined with a sparkling champagne mood to the sounds of the waltz."

Operetta in three acts
Text version after Carl Haffner and Richard Genée based on the vaudeville Le Réveillon by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy

In German with German and English surtitles

Gabriel von Eisenstein Christoph Pohl
Rosalinde Elissa Huber
Alfred Mario Lerchenberger
Prince Orlofsky Valerie Eickhoff
Adele Katrina Galka
Dr Falke Anton Beliaev
Frank Markus Marquardt
Dr Blind Gerald Hupach
Ida Cornelia Butz, Gundula Rosenkranz
Frog Wolfgang Stumph

Musical direction Marcus Merkel
Production Günter Krämer
Stage Gisbert Jäkel
Costumes Falk Bauer
Lighting Jan Seeger
Choreography Otto Pichler
Choir Jan Hoffmann
Saxon State Opera Choir Dresden
Saxon State Orchestra Dresden
semperoper.de
Sat
03
Jan
Strauß

Die Fledermaus | Semperoper Dresden

Operetta
3rd performance
19:00 – 22:00
Production: Strauß: Die Fledermaus
Semperoper Dresden Theaterplatz 2, 01067 Dresden, DeutschlandMaps
"Effervescent irony combined with a sparkling champagne mood to the sounds of the waltz."

Operetta in three acts
Text version after Carl Haffner and Richard Genée based on the vaudeville Le Réveillon by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy

In German with German and English surtitles

Gabriel von Eisenstein Christoph Pohl
Rosalinde Elissa Huber
Alfred Mario Lerchenberger
Prince Orlofsky Valerie Eickhoff
Adele Katrina Galka
Dr Falke Anton Beliaev
Frank Markus Marquardt
Dr Blind Gerald Hupach
Ida Cornelia Butz, Gundula Rosenkranz
Frog Wolfgang Stumph

Musical direction Marcus Merkel
Production Günter Krämer
Stage Gisbert Jäkel
Costumes Falk Bauer
Lighting Jan Seeger
Choreography Otto Pichler
Choir Jan Hoffmann
Saxon State Opera Choir Dresden
Saxon State Orchestra Dresden
semperoper.de
Fri
09
Jan
Strauß

Die Fledermaus | Semperoper Dresden

Operetta
4th performance
19:00 – 22:00
Production: Strauß: Die Fledermaus
Semperoper Dresden Theaterplatz 2, 01067 Dresden, DeutschlandMaps
"Effervescent irony combined with a sparkling champagne mood to the sounds of the waltz."

Operetta in three acts
Text version after Carl Haffner and Richard Genée based on the vaudeville Le Réveillon by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy

In German with German and English surtitles

Gabriel von Eisenstein Christoph Pohl
Rosalinde Elissa Huber
Alfred Mario Lerchenberger
Prince Orlofsky Valerie Eickhoff
Adele Katrina Galka
Dr Falke Anton Beliaev
Frank Markus Marquardt
Dr Blind Gerald Hupach
Ida Cornelia Butz, Gundula Rosenkranz
Frog Wolfgang Stumph

Musical direction Marcus Merkel
Production Günter Krämer
Stage Gisbert Jäkel
Costumes Falk Bauer
Lighting Jan Seeger
Choreography Otto Pichler
Choir Jan Hoffmann
Saxon State Opera Choir Dresden
Saxon State Orchestra Dresden
semperoper.de
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Reviews

„Von Chemnitz in die Welt“

„... What he does with his hands is all the more precise, with a focus on marvellous details, when he makes the brass sparkle and the woodwinds glitter lasciviously. But also capable of controlled ecstasy ...“ — Werner Kopfmüller, Leipziger Volkszeitung

„Voces del Real: Ludovic Tézier“

„... The discovery of the evening, however, was the conductor, a young artist who is able to switch between the academicism of a David, the Offenbachian splendour, the biblical and oriental cancan of a Don Camille, the decadent exaltation of a Massenet and the monumentality of a Wagner.“ — Blas Matamoro, scherzo

„La clemenza di Tito“

„... The Staatsorchester Rheinische Philharmonie, under the direction of Marcus Merkel, performs in the orchestra pit of the Rokokotheater with a wide-awake presence and delivers a lively and crisp sound that does Mozart credit. ...“ — Uwe Rauschelbach, Schwetzinger Zeitung

„Carmen“

„...Conductor Marcus Merkel challenges the orchestra made up of members of the Graz Philharmonic Orchestra to brilliant performances, builds up a broad dynamic spectrum and awakens the Andalusian flair in the audience's imagination with Bizet's sparkling rhythms....“ — Paul Stepanek, Oberösterreichische Nachrichten

„Così fan tutte“

„...The sparks also fly in the orchestra pit, Marcus Merkel draws a lively Mozart sound from the Rheinische Philharmonie....“ — Florian Oberhummer, Salzburger Nachrichten

More reviews
Tosca Preview - Jonas Kaufmann & Marcus Merkel

Repertoire

Marcus Merkel's repertoire includes 55 works of stage literature - in 71 productions to date.

View entire repertoire
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