MARCUS
MERKEL
Conductor, Composer, Pianist
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„... one of the most interesting young German conductors of the present day ...“
biography
Marcus Merkel is a young German conductor and has been Chief Conductor at Theater Koblenz since the 2022/23 season. Guest engagements take him to the Semperoper Dresden, the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra, the Teatro Real Madrid and the Concertgebouw Amsterdam. He regularly works with soloists including Jonas Kaufmann, Elīna Garanča, Sir Bryn Terfel, Ludovic Tézier and Kristīne Opolais. He also performs as a pianist and composer.
In the 2025/26 season, he makes his debut at the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, with the Jena Philharmonic Orchestra and the Bruckner Orchestra Linz with symphony concerts, returns to the Semperoper Dresden with a performance series of Die Fledermaus, and records a CD with the RSO Vienna featuring Austrian baritone Rafael Fingerlos.
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.
View full biography
Schedule
Sat
26
Sept
Annual Gala with Fatma Said | Antwerp Symphony Orchestra
Concert
20:15 – 22:30
The Antwerp Symphony Orchestra Gala is an annual highlight to savour. This year, star soprano Fatma Said brings her elegance and irresistible flair to the Elisabeth Hall, following triumphs at the Metropolitan Opera and the Berlin Philharmonie. The Egyptian soprano offers a unique perspective on opera classics and Spanish repertoire (such as De Falla), where European and Arabic influences historically converged. Amidst sparkling overtures and intermezzi, the orchestra proves the perfect partner for a soloist who effortlessly blends international allure with profound artistic refinement.
Sun
11
Oct
2. Philharmonisches Konzert – Erlesene Augenblicke | Norddeutsche Philharmonie Rostock
Concert
1st performance
18:00 – 20:30
Production: 2. Philharmonisches Konzert – Erlesene Augenblicke
Anna Clyne: "This Moment" (2022)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra in A major, K. 622
Johannes Brahms: Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 68
Sebastian Manz – clarinet
Marcus Merkel – conductor
Norddeutsche Philharmonie Rostock
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto is probably one of the top ten most popular classical concertos.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto is probably one of the top ten most popular classical concertos. And with Sebastian Manz – who already captivated audiences in Rostock last year with his warm clarinet tone – performing the solo part, this evening is a ‘must’ for all classical music fans. The short orchestral piece ‘This Moment’, penned by Anna Clyne, also revolves around Mozart. In it, the British composer incorporates motifs from the Viennese classic’s Requiem.
Under the baton of Marcus Merkel, principal conductor at the Koblenz Theatre, Johannes Brahms’s first symphony will be performed after the interval. “I will never compose a symphony,” the composer feared as recently as the early 1870s. In the shadow of Ludwig van Beethoven’s towering example, many had ceased to venture into this form. For Brahms, too, working on his First Symphony proved to be an inner ordeal. After decades of struggle, he finally returned to an old draft during a summer holiday in Sassnitz on Rügen. “A beautiful symphony has become lodged in the Wissow cliffs,” he announced in 1874. Two years later, he completed the work in Lichtental near Baden-Baden – and the 43-year-old had indeed succeeded in renewing the genre.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra in A major, K. 622
Johannes Brahms: Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 68
Sebastian Manz – clarinet
Marcus Merkel – conductor
Norddeutsche Philharmonie Rostock
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto is probably one of the top ten most popular classical concertos.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto is probably one of the top ten most popular classical concertos. And with Sebastian Manz – who already captivated audiences in Rostock last year with his warm clarinet tone – performing the solo part, this evening is a ‘must’ for all classical music fans. The short orchestral piece ‘This Moment’, penned by Anna Clyne, also revolves around Mozart. In it, the British composer incorporates motifs from the Viennese classic’s Requiem.
Under the baton of Marcus Merkel, principal conductor at the Koblenz Theatre, Johannes Brahms’s first symphony will be performed after the interval. “I will never compose a symphony,” the composer feared as recently as the early 1870s. In the shadow of Ludwig van Beethoven’s towering example, many had ceased to venture into this form. For Brahms, too, working on his First Symphony proved to be an inner ordeal. After decades of struggle, he finally returned to an old draft during a summer holiday in Sassnitz on Rügen. “A beautiful symphony has become lodged in the Wissow cliffs,” he announced in 1874. Two years later, he completed the work in Lichtental near Baden-Baden – and the 43-year-old had indeed succeeded in renewing the genre.
Mon
12
Oct
2. Philharmonisches Konzert – Erlesene Augenblicke | Norddeutsche Philharmonie Rostock
Concert
2nd performance
18:00 – 20:30
Production: 2. Philharmonisches Konzert – Erlesene Augenblicke
Anna Clyne: "This Moment" (2022)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra in A major, K. 622
Johannes Brahms: Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 68
Sebastian Manz – clarinet
Marcus Merkel – conductor
Norddeutsche Philharmonie Rostock
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto is probably one of the top ten most popular classical concertos.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto is probably one of the top ten most popular classical concertos. And with Sebastian Manz – who already captivated audiences in Rostock last year with his warm clarinet tone – performing the solo part, this evening is a ‘must’ for all classical music fans. The short orchestral piece ‘This Moment’, penned by Anna Clyne, also revolves around Mozart. In it, the British composer incorporates motifs from the Viennese classic’s Requiem.
Under the baton of Marcus Merkel, principal conductor at the Koblenz Theatre, Johannes Brahms’s first symphony will be performed after the interval. “I will never compose a symphony,” the composer feared as recently as the early 1870s. In the shadow of Ludwig van Beethoven’s towering example, many had ceased to venture into this form. For Brahms, too, working on his First Symphony proved to be an inner ordeal. After decades of struggle, he finally returned to an old draft during a summer holiday in Sassnitz on Rügen. “A beautiful symphony has become lodged in the Wissow cliffs,” he announced in 1874. Two years later, he completed the work in Lichtental near Baden-Baden – and the 43-year-old had indeed succeeded in renewing the genre.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra in A major, K. 622
Johannes Brahms: Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 68
Sebastian Manz – clarinet
Marcus Merkel – conductor
Norddeutsche Philharmonie Rostock
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto is probably one of the top ten most popular classical concertos.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto is probably one of the top ten most popular classical concertos. And with Sebastian Manz – who already captivated audiences in Rostock last year with his warm clarinet tone – performing the solo part, this evening is a ‘must’ for all classical music fans. The short orchestral piece ‘This Moment’, penned by Anna Clyne, also revolves around Mozart. In it, the British composer incorporates motifs from the Viennese classic’s Requiem.
Under the baton of Marcus Merkel, principal conductor at the Koblenz Theatre, Johannes Brahms’s first symphony will be performed after the interval. “I will never compose a symphony,” the composer feared as recently as the early 1870s. In the shadow of Ludwig van Beethoven’s towering example, many had ceased to venture into this form. For Brahms, too, working on his First Symphony proved to be an inner ordeal. After decades of struggle, he finally returned to an old draft during a summer holiday in Sassnitz on Rügen. “A beautiful symphony has become lodged in the Wissow cliffs,” he announced in 1874. Two years later, he completed the work in Lichtental near Baden-Baden – and the 43-year-old had indeed succeeded in renewing the genre.
Tue
13
Oct
2. Philharmonisches Konzert – Erlesene Augenblicke | Norddeutsche Philharmonie Rostock
Concert
3rd performance
19:30 – 22:00
Production: 2. Philharmonisches Konzert – Erlesene Augenblicke
Anna Clyne: "This Moment" (2022)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra in A major, K. 622
Johannes Brahms: Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 68
Sebastian Manz – clarinet
Marcus Merkel – conductor
Norddeutsche Philharmonie Rostock
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto is probably one of the top ten most popular classical concertos.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto is probably one of the top ten most popular classical concertos. And with Sebastian Manz – who already captivated audiences in Rostock last year with his warm clarinet tone – performing the solo part, this evening is a ‘must’ for all classical music fans. The short orchestral piece ‘This Moment’, penned by Anna Clyne, also revolves around Mozart. In it, the British composer incorporates motifs from the Viennese classic’s Requiem.
Under the baton of Marcus Merkel, principal conductor at the Koblenz Theatre, Johannes Brahms’s first symphony will be performed after the interval. “I will never compose a symphony,” the composer feared as recently as the early 1870s. In the shadow of Ludwig van Beethoven’s towering example, many had ceased to venture into this form. For Brahms, too, working on his First Symphony proved to be an inner ordeal. After decades of struggle, he finally returned to an old draft during a summer holiday in Sassnitz on Rügen. “A beautiful symphony has become lodged in the Wissow cliffs,” he announced in 1874. Two years later, he completed the work in Lichtental near Baden-Baden – and the 43-year-old had indeed succeeded in renewing the genre.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra in A major, K. 622
Johannes Brahms: Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 68
Sebastian Manz – clarinet
Marcus Merkel – conductor
Norddeutsche Philharmonie Rostock
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto is probably one of the top ten most popular classical concertos.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto is probably one of the top ten most popular classical concertos. And with Sebastian Manz – who already captivated audiences in Rostock last year with his warm clarinet tone – performing the solo part, this evening is a ‘must’ for all classical music fans. The short orchestral piece ‘This Moment’, penned by Anna Clyne, also revolves around Mozart. In it, the British composer incorporates motifs from the Viennese classic’s Requiem.
Under the baton of Marcus Merkel, principal conductor at the Koblenz Theatre, Johannes Brahms’s first symphony will be performed after the interval. “I will never compose a symphony,” the composer feared as recently as the early 1870s. In the shadow of Ludwig van Beethoven’s towering example, many had ceased to venture into this form. For Brahms, too, working on his First Symphony proved to be an inner ordeal. After decades of struggle, he finally returned to an old draft during a summer holiday in Sassnitz on Rügen. “A beautiful symphony has become lodged in the Wissow cliffs,” he announced in 1874. Two years later, he completed the work in Lichtental near Baden-Baden – and the 43-year-old had indeed succeeded in renewing the genre.
Sun
22
Nov
Verdi
Don Carlo | Semperoper Dresden
Opera
1st performance
18:00 – 21:50
Production: Verdi: Don Carlo
Opera in four acts
With a prologue for orchestra (world premiere) and an interlude for violoncello solo by Manfred Trojahn
Libretto by Joseph Mery and Camille du Locle in the Italian translation by Achille de Lauzieres-Themines and Angelo Zanardini
In Italian with German and English surtitles
Opening night
22 October 2021
Musical direction Marcus Merkel
Production Vera Nemirova
Artistic collaboration with director Sonja Nemirova
Stage design Heike Scheele
Costumes Frauke Schernau
Lighting Fabio Antoci
Choir Jonathan Becker
Video rocafilm
Dramaturgy Kai Weßler
Saxon State Opera Choir Dresden
Saxon State Orchestra Dresden
A co-production with the Salzburg Easter Festival
Filippo II Georg Zeppenfeld
Elisabetta di Valois Angel Blue
Don Carlo Stephen Costello
La Principessa Eboli Yulia Matochkina
Rodrigo, Marchese di Posa Boris Pinkhasovich
Il Conte di Lerma Simeon Esper
La Contessa d'Aremberg Leonie Nowak, Hyunduk Na
Tebaldo Nicole Chirka
Un Araldo reale Jin Yu
Il Grande Inquisitore Taras Shtonda
Un Frate Oleksandr Pushniak
Voce dal cielo Dalia Medovnikov
Deputati fiamminghi Danylo Matviienko, David Roy, Metehan Köklü, Martin-Jan Nijhof, Tilmann Rönnebeck
With a prologue for orchestra (world premiere) and an interlude for violoncello solo by Manfred Trojahn
Libretto by Joseph Mery and Camille du Locle in the Italian translation by Achille de Lauzieres-Themines and Angelo Zanardini
In Italian with German and English surtitles
Opening night
22 October 2021
Musical direction Marcus Merkel
Production Vera Nemirova
Artistic collaboration with director Sonja Nemirova
Stage design Heike Scheele
Costumes Frauke Schernau
Lighting Fabio Antoci
Choir Jonathan Becker
Video rocafilm
Dramaturgy Kai Weßler
Saxon State Opera Choir Dresden
Saxon State Orchestra Dresden
A co-production with the Salzburg Easter Festival
Filippo II Georg Zeppenfeld
Elisabetta di Valois Angel Blue
Don Carlo Stephen Costello
La Principessa Eboli Yulia Matochkina
Rodrigo, Marchese di Posa Boris Pinkhasovich
Il Conte di Lerma Simeon Esper
La Contessa d'Aremberg Leonie Nowak, Hyunduk Na
Tebaldo Nicole Chirka
Un Araldo reale Jin Yu
Il Grande Inquisitore Taras Shtonda
Un Frate Oleksandr Pushniak
Voce dal cielo Dalia Medovnikov
Deputati fiamminghi Danylo Matviienko, David Roy, Metehan Köklü, Martin-Jan Nijhof, Tilmann Rönnebeck
Reviews
Repertoire
Marcus Merkel's opera repertoire includes 55 works of stage literature - in 77 productions to date.
Gallery
