Conductor: Axel Kober
Axel Kober was born 1970 in Kronach, Germany and completed his conducting studies with Peter Falk and Günther Wich in Würzburg, Germany and finished his 2-years master studies in instrumental accompaniment with Irvin Gage at the Music University in Zürich, Switzerland.
His first conducting engagement led him to the Mecklenburgische Staatstheater Schwerin in 1994, 1998-2003 he worked at Theater Dortmund (as First Kapellmeister and substitutional Music Director), during the transition period 2001-2002 he led the house together with the temporary Music Director Hans Wallat. Outstanding performances were “Louise and Julien” by Gustave Charpentiers as well as his productions “André Chénier” and “Turandot”.
2003 Axel Kober was appointed First Kapellmeister at the Nationaltheater Mannheim, where he conducted numerous performances, a.o. „Le Nozze di Figaro“, „Die Trojaner“, „Lohengrin“, „Tannhäuser“, „Tristan and Isolde“, „Der Ring des Nibelungen“, „Parsifal“, „Hänsel and Gretel“, „The Woman without a Shadow“, „Madama Butterfly“, „Turandot“, „Carmen“, „La Traviata“, „Aida“, „Il Trovatore“, „Simon Boccanegra“, „Un Ballo in Maschera“ and „Otello“. 2005/06 Axel Kober was temporary Music Director of the Nationaltheater Mannheim.
2007-2009 Axel Kober was Music Director at the Opera Leipzig, where he debuted already in 2003 with “Der Freischütz”. He also conducted symphony concerts with the Gewandhaus Orchestra Leipzig, premieres and resumptions of „La Bohème“, „Aida“, „Carmen“, „Tannhäuser“, „Rienzi“, „Lohengrin“, „Tristan und Isolde“, „Parsifal“, „Ariadne auf Naxos“, „Jenufa“ as well as a Schönberg-triology „Moderne Menschen“ („Von heute auf morgen“, „Die glückliche Hand“, „Erwartung“) and a Strawinsky ballet project.
Axel Kober was guest conductor at the Staatstheater Nürnberg, Vienna Volksoper, Landestheater Innsbruck, Royal Opera Copenhagen, Philharmonic Orchestra Halle as well as NDR Symphony Orchestra Hamburg.
2009/10 Axel Kober started his position as Principal Conductor and Music Director at the Deutsche Oper am Rhein Düsseldorf/Duisburg. He conducted premiers a.o. by Peter Grimes, productions of “Die Lustige Witwe”, “Tristan and Isolde” as well as Jörg Widmann’s “Gesicht im Spiegel”. As guest conductor Axel Kober was present at the Deutsche Oper Berlin with “The Woman without a Shadow” as well as at the Opera Leipzig with “Aida”.
2010/11 included a.o. a premiere of “Meistersinger” in Leipzig as well as „Dialogue des Carmélites“ and „The Woman without a Shadow“ at the Deutsche Oper am Rhein. In the near future, Axel Kober will conduct “Parsifal” at the Basel Opera as well as guest performances of the Oper Leipzig in Hongkong.
