Sascha Goetzel

Sascha Goetzel is a dynamic Austrian conductor equally at home in the symphonic and operatic repertoire. He leads the Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire and the Ulsan Philharmonic in South Korea. Goetzel's career has been defined by a gift for building up young orchestras and imaginatively curating programs. During his long tenure at Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic (2008-2020), he transformed the ensemble into a critically acclaimed international orchestra, with landmark tours to the Salzburg Festival, BBC Proms, and Royal Concertgebouw. Three of his recordings with the Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic, including Music of the Machine Age (2012) and Scheherazade (2014), received acclaim from BBC Music Magazine. Goetzel's release featuring Korngold, Schreker, and Krenek with the Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire was named Best Orchestral Recording 2026 by BBC Music Magazine. Goetzel knew from the age of three that he wanted to be a conductor. His father instructed him to first learn violin, and then he took up conducting lessons at the age of 11. He played with the Vienna Philharmonic before working as an apprentice with major conductors including Seiji Ozawa and Riccardo Muti at the Tanglewood Festival. In his mid-twenties, Goetzel took his first positions with the Kuopio Symphony Orchestra in Finland (2007-2013) and the Orchestre Symphonique de Bretagne (2012-2015). As an opera conductor, career highlights include Le Nozze di Figaro and Lehár's Land of Smiles at the Vienna Volksoper as well as all three Mozart-De Ponte operas at the Tiroler Landestheater. Goetzel has recorded several albums, mainly of 19th and 20th century orchestral music. He is a founder of several music education projects, notably ORPHEUS-WIEN and Opera by the Fjord. ~ Jane Harrison, Rovi