Sir Donald Runnicles

Chief Conductor of the Dresdner Philharmonie from 25/26

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

Sir Donald Runnicles will become Chief Conductor of the Dresden Philharmonic at the start of the 2025/26 season; he already serves as Chief Conductor Designate in 2024/25. The Scottish-born conductor is also GMD of the Deutsche Oper Berlin until mid-2026. He stands for the principle of quality over quantity and has built up close artistic relationships with renowned institutions worldwide. His expertise in the opera and concert repertoire is in demand everywhere, and the German repertoire is particularly close to his heart.

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Ausrine Stundyte

Lithuanian soprano Aušrinė Stundytė is best known for her portrayal of extreme female roles, and she sees opera as the highest form of fusion of different forms of expression. In 2020, she made a triumphant debut at the Salzburg Festival in the role of Strauss's “Elektra”. But her repertoire also includes roles such as Dido in Purcell's “Dido and Aeneas” or Jeanne in Penderecki's “The Devils of Loudon”.

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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 major role debuts, including as the Contessa in Mozart's "Le nozze di Figaro", as Salome in Strauss' opera of the same name, and as Elisabeth de Valois in Verdi's "Don Carlos". The singer, who has won numerous awards and scholarships, is also a successful Wagner interpreter, as in the role of Gerhilde in "Die Walküre", and as a soloist in the symphonic concert repertoire, such as Verdi's Requiem.

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Gideon Poppe

Tenor Gideon Poppe was a member of the ensemble at the Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe, the Staatstheater Kassel, and for over ten years at the Deutsche Oper Berlin. In 2022, he made his debut at the Edinburgh Festival under the baton of Sir Donald Runnicles as Jaquino in "Fidelio". In 2024, he appeared for the first time at the Bayerische Staatsoper in Weinberg's "Die Passagierin", He has also performed in London, Muscat, and Vienna. Since fall 2022, he has been a professor of voice at the Hochschule für Musik und Tanz in Cologne.

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Stephanie Wake-Edwards

The award-winning British mezzo-soprano and contralto Stephanie Wake-Edwards was England's representative for the Cardiff Singer of the World Competition in 2021 and is currently a member of the ensemble at the Deutsche Oper Berlin. There she sings the title role in Bizet's “Carmen,” Maddalena in Verdi's “Rigoletto,” and the page in Strauss' “Salome,” 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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Dresdner Philharmonie

Top Class!

That is the claim of the Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra. The orchestra stands for concerts at the highest artistic level, musical education for all ages and looking beyond the musical horizon. Guest performances on almost every continent and collaborations with guests from all over the world have established the reputation of the Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra in the international classical music world.  

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