Sir Donald Runnicles

Chief Conductor of the Dresdner Philharmonie

Introducing Sir Donald Runnicles! More pictures & videos of our new Chief Conductor can be found here.

Sir Donald Runnicles has been Chief Conductor of the Dresden Philharmonic since the start of the 2025/26 season. In his first Dresden season, he will be presenting Strauss's "Elektra" in concert, conducting concerts at the British Festival, and leading the orchestra on a tour of Asia, to name just a few projects. The Scotsman will also remain General Music Director of the Deutsche Oper Berlin until mid-2026. He stands for the principle of quality over quantity and has thus established close artistic ties with renowned institutions worldwide, both in the opera pit and on the concert podium.

 

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Aušrinė Stundytė

For Lithuanian soprano Aušrinė Stundytė, opera represents the highest form of fusion between different forms of expression. She is particularly well known for her nuanced portrayals of complex female roles. In 2020, she made her debut in the role of Strauss' "Elektra" at the Salzburg Festival, where she enjoyed enormous success. But roles such as Salome, the Färberin (Dyer's Wife) in "Die Frau ohne Schatten" and Judith in "Herzog Blaubarts Burg" are also part of her repertoire.

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Thomas Blondelle

The Belgian tenor Thomas Blondelle has a broad operatic repertoire that includes roles from Mozart to Wagner, as well as contemporary works. In summer 2024, he made his debut at the Bregenz Festival as Max in “Der Freischütz”. From 2009 to 2023, he was a member of the ensemble at the Deutsche Oper Berlin, where he sang roles including Tamino (“Die Zauberflöte”), Herod (“Salome”), Macduff (“Macbeth”), Eisenstein (“Die Fledermaus”), Pelleas (“Pelleas et Mélisande”) and the title role in “Parsifal”.

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Nina Bezu

Berlin-born soprano Nina Bezu has recently made several important role debuts, including Salome in Strauss's opera of the same name, Elisabetta in Verdi's "Don Carlo" and Rosalinde in "Die Fledermaus". She has won numerous prizes and scholarships and is a successful soloist in the symphonic concert repertoire, for example in Verdi's Requiem. Her solo album featuring art songs by Crumb, Strauss and Schubert was released in 2025.

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Gideon Poppe

Tenor Gideon Poppe was a member of the ensemble at the Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe, the Staatstheater Kassel and, until 2024, at the Deutsche Oper Berlin for over ten years. In 2024, he made his debut at the Bavarian State Opera in Weinberg's "Die Passagierin". At the Bayreuth Festival in 2025, he made his festival debut as Augustin Moser in "Die Meistersinger". He has also performed in London, Muscat and Vienna. Since autumn 2022, he has been a professor at the Cologne University of Music and Dance.

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Stephanie Wake-Edwards

The award-winning British mezzo-soprano and contralto Stephanie Wake-Edwards is currently a member of the ensemble at the Deutsche Oper Berlin. There she can be heard as Hermia in "A Midsummer Night’s Dream", Prince Orlofsky in "Die Fledermaus", Mary in "Der fliegende Holländer", Grimgerde in "Die Walküre", and Maddalena in "Rigoletto", among other roles. She also performs as a concert singer in many venues, including in Handel's “Messiah,” Mahler's Third Symphony, and in recitals.

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Sarah Castle

With a repertoire spanning more than three and a half centuries of different styles, New Zealand-born, UK-based mezzo-soprano Sarah Castle is attracting international attention. Her current engagements include particularly diverse Wagner roles such as Flosshilde, Waltraute, and Fricka, but she also performs in numerous trouser and female roles from the Baroque, Classical, and Romantic periods, as well as in works by contemporary composers such as Tan Dun and John Adams.

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MDR-Rundfunkchor

The MDR Rundfunkchor is the largest choir of the German public broadcasting service and celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2024. Secular and sacred music, ensemble singing and choral symphonic works are equally part of its repertoire, which spans almost a millennium of music history. The ensemble is an excellent partner for Europe's well-known symphony orchestras, but with its clear, defined and full sound, it is also a leader in the interpretation of a cappella works.

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