Christian Zacharias
The qualities that make German pianist Christian Zacharias one of the world's most
celebrated performers have also enabled him to make his mark as a conductor, festival
director, musical thinker, writer, and broadcaster: integrity married to individualism;
deep musical insight matched by a sure poetic instinct; brilliance in communication; and a
charismatic, commanding platform manner.
Mr. Zacharias made his international name as prizewinner in the Geneva Competition in 1969
and the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 1973. He also won the 2007 MIDEM
Classical Award for Artist of the Year in Cannes, and was recently bestowed the honorable
title of Officier dans l'ordre des arts et des lettres by the French government.
Mr. Zacharias continues to appear in concerto and recital performances worldwide, and has
also pursued a successful career as a conductor and conductor-performer. Since 2000, he has
served as principal conductor of the Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne, with whom he has
made a number of critically acclaimed recordings. He made his North American conducting
debut with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and has since returned for several performances.
Additionally, Mr. Zacharias has conducted many top US orchestras, including the New York
Philharmonic, Boston Symphony Orchestra, and Orchestra of St. Luke's. Future
conductor-performer engagements include performances with the Boston Symphony Orchestra,
Los Angeles Philharmonic, Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre national de Lyon,
The Hague Philharmonic, and Barcelona Symphony Orchestra.
Mr. Zacharias has been principal guest conductor of the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra
since the 2002-2003 season, and in 2009, he became an artistic partner of The Saint Paul
Chamber Orchestra. Most recently, he embarked on an operatic conducting career with
productions of Mozart's La clemenza di Tito and Offenbach's La belle
Hélène. This fall, he conducted a new production of Le nozze di Figaro at the
Opéra Royal de Wallonie.
Highlights of recent seasons include a Haydn project with the Orchestre de Chambre de
Lausanne; as well as a recital tour with concerts in London, Paris, Brussels, Zurich,
Madrid, Rome, Geneva, Philadelphia, and San Francisco. On the occasion of his 60th birthday
in 2010, the Alte Oper Frankfurt arranged an "Artist's Portrait" celebration in honor of
Mr. Zacharias, consisting of five concerts and three films that presented him as a pianist,
conductor, chamber musician, and lied accompanist. In 2011, Mr. Zacharias became a
professor at the University of Gothenburg's Academy of Music and Drama.
In April 2012, Deutsche Grammophon will release an album of Mr. Zacharias conducting the
Bavarian Radio Chamber Orchestra with pianist Jan Lisiecki in a performance of Mozart's K.
466 and 467 concertos.