Gabriel Feltz

Gabriel Feltz was a prominent German conductor known for versatility, with an opera and symphonic repertoire spanning the entire 19th and 20th centuries. He had a long tenure with the Dortmund Philharmonic, raising the ensemble's profile significantly and recording several albums with them, including Viktor Ullmann's works (2017), Rachmaninov's Third Symphony (2018) and assorted pieces by the same composer (2020). Feltz also served as the conductor of several other regional German orchestras, notably the Stuttgart Philharmonic, as well as the Belgrade Philharmonic. Working tirelessly until his untimely death, he took up the position of general music director in Kiel in 2024. Highlights from his lengthy discography include an album of Prokofiev orchestral works (2004), and the complete Mahler symphonies (2022). His 2013 recording of Nono's Intolleranza 1960 won the Diapason d'Or. Feltz studied conducting and piano at the Hanns Eisler School of Music in Berlin, then served as assistant to Gerd Albrecht at the Hamburg State Opera. Early in his career, he took conducting posts in Lübeck, Bremen, and Thüringen. From 2004 to 2013, he worked with the Stuttgart Philharmonic, conducting more than 350 performances there. He led the first complete recorded performance of Respighi's Belkis, Queen of Sheba since its 1932 premiere in 2013 with Stuttgart. His projects as the head of the opera and symphony of Dortmund between 2013 and 2025 included a new Wagner Ring Cycle directed by Peter Konwitschny. Feltz was a noted advocate for avant-garde postwar opera, leading acclaimed productions of Zimmermann's Die Soldaten and Nono's Intolleranza 1960 at the Komische Oper Berlin as well as Rihm's Hamletmaschine at Zurich Opera. The conductor also worked with major orchestras, including the Staatskapelle Dresden and Radio Symphony Orchestras of Bavaria and Vienna. Feltz died suddenly in 2025, at the age of 54. ~ Jane Harrison, Rovi