Dirk Kaftan was appointed the General Music Director of the Beethoven Orchestra Bonn and Bonn Opera House in the summer of 2017. In addition to numerous concerts during the 2022/2023 season, he will also be conducting Kurt Weill's opera “Mahagonny” and Franz Schreker's rarely performed opera “Der singende Teufel” (The Singing Devil). His concerts will see him continue to conduct the successful concert series that have brought him together with artists such as Matthias Brandt and Rafik Schami, and we can also look forward to future projects with guests such as Julia Fischer, Sunnyi Melles, Auma Obama, Selina Ott, Daniel Müller Schott, Alexandre Tharaud and Wladimir Kaminer.
Dirk Kaftan’s repertoire is a broad one and ranges from rapturously received performances of Beethoven’s symphonies to Nono’s “Intolleranza 1960” and “The Merry Widow”, as well as various intercultural projects.
He was the initiator and driving force behind a whole string of projects commemorating the city’s most famous son during the Beethoven Anniversary Year, such as the “Beethoven Lounges”, “Hofkapelle” or “Beethoven Moves!”. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he developed new concert formats, such as “Beethoven Pure”, which allowed Ludwig van Beethoven's symphonies to be performed in chamber music formations.
Dirk Kaftan is a welcome guest at the world’s renowned concert halls, with recent highlights that include performances with the Royal Danish Orchestra, the Bruckner Orchestra Linz, the Ensemble Modern and a much-acclaimed rendition of “Tristan” at the Hannover State Opera House. He has been responsible for productions at the Vienna Volksoper and the Royal Danish Opera House in Copenhagen, and has also conducted a series of performances in Berlin and Dresden. In 2016, he conducted Miroslav Srnka’s “Make No Noise” at the Bregenz Festival. While rejoicing in his various guest appearances, Dirk Kaftan’s work on his own stage always remains the focus of his commitments. The dedication to his own ensemble, orchestra and choir is a trait that musicians and colleagues alike appreciate in him. This work ethic, borne of the Kapellmeister tradition has accompanied him since his very first appointments, but also in his previous posts as General Music Director in Augsburg and Graz. His work is highly cherished by audiences and critics alike, and his most recent recording of Beethoven’s “Egmont” in 2019, his first with the Beethoven Orchestra Bonn, received rave reviews and was awarded the OPUS KLASSIK in 2020. His earlier productions in Graz and Augsburg included, among others, “Der ferne Klang” (The Distant Sound), “Jenůfa” and “The Greek Passion”.
At the beginning of 2021, the Beethoven Orchestra Bonn under Dirk Kaftan was appointed as a “United Nations Climate Change Goodwill Ambassador” by the UN Climate Change Secretariat (UNFCCC). During the summer of the same year, Dirk Kaftan and his Beethoven Orchestra Bonn were awarded the European Culture Prize.
His credos of “approaching people” and “joining forces” are reflected in the work of the Bonn General Music Director, be it in his interactions with musicians or the audience. In the eyes of Dirk Kaftan, music is an essential part of life; it is an invitation to think and get involved.
Projects:
Beethoven Pure
Concerts With A Workshop Character
A concert series appealing to music experts and newbies alike: “Beethoven Pure” introduces you to Beethoven's symphonies 1 to 8 in full length with accompanying talks. We present interesting background information concerning the work and the genius behind it, become acquainted with different musical ideas in talk format, and finally get to listen to the respective work purely and in one piece. Beethoven is brought to you in a chamber orchestra arrangement during a musical workshop and the audience can look over Ludwig’s shoulder at work.
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Hofkapelle
Beethoven's Childhood And Youth Repertoire
Ludwig van Beethoven spent the first twenty-one years of his life in Bonn. During this time, he was in close contact with the ensemble “Hofkapelle”: First through his father and later as a musician working there himself. The repertoire the musicians played together most likely left a considerable mark on him. Works from the „typical concerts of the court orchestra” were found in archives in Modena and Vienna and initially performed at the “Redoute” in Bad Godesberg, the place where the aged Haydn and the juvenile Beethoven first met. Some of the works that were played by the ensemble will be released on CD by the label Dabringhaus & Grimm at the end of 2021.
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Beethoven Lounges
A Musical Talk Show For The Beethoven Anniversary
For the Beethoven anniversary year (250th birthday in 2020), Dirk Kaftan invited guests from near and far and brought them together. At the Pantheon, the Beethoven Lounges welcomed the key players of the anniversary year from music and society. It was a meeting place with monthly updates on the festivities in honor of Beethoven’s opus. The performers discussed past events and looked forward to upcoming activities in the city of Bonn and beyond. They talked about Beethoven and looked at him with eyes sparkling with joy. Even though Beethoven’s birthday dates back many years, his values and his works are all the more current and significant up to the present day.
Ludwig van Beethoven spent the first twenty-one years of his life in Bonn. During this time, he was in close contact with the ensemble “Hofkapelle”: First through his father and later as a musician working there himself. The repertoire the musicians played together most likely left a considerable mark on him. Works from the „typical concerts of the court orchestra” were found in archives in Modena and Vienna and initially performed at the “Redoute” in Bad Godesberg, the place where the aged Haydn and the juvenile Beethoven first met. Some of the works that were played by the ensemble will be released on CD by the label Dabringhaus & Grimm at the end of 2021.
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Beethoven Moves!
Beethoven's Fifth Symphony As You Have Never Experienced It Before
With acrobatic break dancing, touching texts, exciting images and irrepressible energy, young people from Bonn and Medellín rediscovered Beethoven's masterpiece during the Beethoven Moves! project together with the Beethoven Orchestra Bonn. Already in April 2019, members of the orchestra, general music director Dirk Kaftan, director Anselm Dalferth, music educators and project director Rita Baus traveled for a week to Medellín in Colombia. There, they made the acquaintance of young people who are being accompanied back into a life in society in a facility run by the Salesians of Don Bosco.
For these young people, in addition to their daily work and education, there was also a cultural programme: Moves! Together with these young people, our musicians rediscovered Beethoven's Fifth Symphony: What does it tell me? What does it tell you? And from this, their own attitude to the piece emerged, their own statement was formulated.
A story about how it is worthwhile to stand up for one's goals and dreams.
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Dialogue of different cultures
Concert for the Augsburg Peace Festival July 2013
A thrilling expedition through western and oriental culture together with the renowned turkish soloist and composer Kemal Dinc. First performance of the concert-piece for Baglama and orchestra.
„Alle Menschen werden Brüder“ 2010
On July 10, 2010 a unique concert took place on the Rathausplatz(open air) of Augsburg.
350 Singers of different cultures performed this concert for peace together with the Augsburg Philharmonic. The initial idea for this concert, was based on the last movement of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, which until today represents the longing for peace, tolerance and understanding in the jewish, muslim and christian culture. Great focus was put on the first performance of Salaam – peace symphony by Enjott Schneider.
Solisten: Birgit Stolzenburg da Biasio, Komalé Akakpo (Hackbrett), Sally du Randt (Sopran), Stephanie Hampl (Mezzsopran), Seung-Hyun Kim (Tenor), Stephen Owen (Bariton)
Philharmonisches Orchester Augsburg mit: Sängerinnen und Sänger von Kosaken Kraj e. V., Junges Vokalensemble Schwaben, Chor des Gymnasiums St. Stephan, Chor der Sing- und Musikschule Mozartstadt Augsburg, Philharmonischer Chor Augsburg, Kirchenchor Herz-Jesu Augsburg, Türkischer Chor Sultan-i Yegah, Koreanischer Chor Augsburg, Chor des Deutsch-Türkischen Kültürvereins, Opernchor des Theaters Augsburg.
Pera Ensemble (Leitung: Mehmet Yesilcay)
Hamburg Klezmer Band (Leitung: Mark Kovnatskiy)
KARDES TÜRKÜLER & Augsburger Philharmoniker
Lieder der Migration(songs of migration) – Göç Türküleri 1.11.2011
ENCOUNTER of different musical traditions. The western view on oriental culture, represented by Rimsky-Korsakows Scheherazade in confrontation with „real“ turkish, armenian and kurdish music. Also an extraordinary exciting experiment with new musical forms/arrangements for orchestra and the renowned turkish folk-ensemble Kardes Türküler.
Education Programmes:
School concerts:
Introducted, moderated and chaired school-concerts „round the world with music“. This first, emotional contact with classical music reached about 20000 children in Augsburg within 3 years.
Concert Introductions with live orchestra:
Before the philharmonic concerts this unique offer to the public has become very popular giving a personal insight in the pieces to be performed.
Children and family concerts:
Numerous concerts for young people in a variety of different shapes have been created througout the years...
Special Concerts:
Dialogue of different cultures
Concert for the Augsburg Peace Festival July 2013
A thrilling expedition through western and oriental culture together with the renowned turkish soloist and composer Kemal Dinc. First performance of the concert-piece for Baglama and orchestra.
„Alle Menschen werden Brüder“ 2010
On July 10, 2010 a unique concert took place on the Rathausplatz(open air) of Augsburg.
350 Singers of different cultures performed this concert for peace together with the Augsburg Philharmonic. The initial idea for this concert, was based on the last movement of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, which until today represents the longing for peace, tolerance and understanding in the jewish, muslim and christian culture. Great focus was put on the first performance of Salaam – peace symphony by Enjott Schneider.
Solisten: Birgit Stolzenburg da Biasio, Komalé Akakpo (Hackbrett), Sally du Randt (Sopran), Stephanie Hampl (Mezzsopran), Seung-Hyun Kim (Tenor), Stephen Owen (Bariton)
Philharmonisches Orchester Augsburg mit: Sängerinnen und Sänger von Kosaken Kraj e. V., Junges Vokalensemble Schwaben, Chor des Gymnasiums St. Stephan, Chor der Sing- und Musikschule Mozartstadt Augsburg, Philharmonischer Chor Augsburg, Kirchenchor Herz-Jesu Augsburg, Türkischer Chor Sultan-i Yegah, Koreanischer Chor Augsburg, Chor des Deutsch-Türkischen Kültürvereins, Opernchor des Theaters Augsburg.
Pera Ensemble (Leitung: Mehmet Yesilcay)
Hamburg Klezmer Band (Leitung: Mark Kovnatskiy)
KARDES TÜRKÜLER & Augsburger Philharmoniker
Lieder der Migration(songs of migration) – Göç Türküleri 1.11.2011
ENCOUNTER of different musical traditions. The western view on oriental culture, represented by Rimsky-Korsakows Scheherazade in confrontation with „real“ turkish, armenian and kurdish music. Also an extraordinary exciting experiment with new musical forms/arrangements for orchestra and the renowned turkish folk-ensemble Kardes Türküler.
Education Programmes:
School concerts:
Introducted, moderated and chaired school-concerts „round the world with music“. This first, emotional contact with classical music reached about 20000 children in Augsburg within 3 years.
Concert Introductions with live orchestra:
Before the philharmonic concerts this unique offer to the public has become very popular giving a personal insight in the pieces to be performed.
Children and family concerts:
Numerous concerts for young people in a variety of different shapes have been created througout the years...