Thomas Hengelbrock
Thomas Hengelbrock gets to the bottom of things and puts himself entirely at the service of music. An exceptional talent in many respects: as conductor, researcher, and music mediator, he has been inspiring his international audience for many years. A profound examination of the musical text, meaning and content of works forms the focus of his work, which spans epochs and genres, and underpins his international career. In exciting programmes he combines the old and the new, the familiar and the unfamiliar, often uncovering astonishing musical affinities. Thomas Hengelbrock regularly unearths works that have been forgotten and thought lost, while at the same time offering refreshing new takes on the standard repertoire.
For over 30 years, Thomas Hengelbrock has celebrated international success as founder and artistic director of his Balthasar Neumann Choir and Orchestra. In a variety of academy programmes, he promotes young musicians and shares his knowledge and experience. Hengelbrock is also a sought-after partner for major international orchestras such as the Vienna and Munich Philharmonic Orchestras, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, the Orchestre National de France and others. In 2017, he opened the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg with the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra and conducted the opening concert of the celebrations for the 150th anniversary of the Palais Garnier in Paris in 2025. In September 2024, he was appointed Musical Director of the Orchestre de chambre de Paris.
In addition to historically informed performances of works such as Mendelssohn’s “Elijah”, Haydn’s “Creation”, Beethoven’s “Missa solemnis”, Wagner’s “Parsifal” and Mascagni’s “Cavalleria rusticana” in the original version, he also devotes himself to the music of the immediate present. Thomas Hengelbrock works closely with contemporary composers such as Qigang Chen, Jan Müller-Wieland, Wolfgang Rihm, Erkki-Sven Tüür, Lotta Wennäkoski, Jörg Widmann or Simon Wills.
Thomas Hengelbrock can be regularly heard together with his Balthasar Neumann ensembles at renowned concert halls and opera houses: most recently with Fauré’s “Messe de Requiem” at the Panthéon in Paris (2024), with Rossini’s “La Cenerentola” at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées (2023), including Gluck’s “Iphigénie en Tauride” at the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg (2025), as well as with various programmes at the Teatro Real in Madrid, the Royal Opera House in London, and the Palau de la Música Catalana in Barcelona. He is also a frequent guest at the festivals in Baden-Baden, Aix-en-Provence and Salzburg, and since 2020 develops a Résidence Artistique at the Château de Fontainebleau with the Balthasar Neumann Choir and Orchestra under the patronage of UNESCO.
In addition to his work as a conductor, Thomas Hengelbrock has also been involved as a director in numerous productions such as Purcell’s “Dido and Aeneas” or Mozart’s “Don Giovanni”, and in 2005, together with the choreographer Pina Bausch, he created a celebrated production of Gluck’s “Orfeo ed Euridice”, which is still being performed in numerous countries. But the combination of music and literature is also a focus of his artistic work. He works with actors such as Klaus Maria Brandauer, Johanna Wokalek and Graham Valentine.
Thomas Hengelbrock is particularly committed to the continuation of culture, creating opportunities for freelance musicians in Europe and opening access to art and culture for young people. He passes on his knowledge and experience to the next generation through the Balthasar Neumann Academy and the Cuban-European Youth Academy, as well as through a variety of school and social projects. Thomas Hengelbrock was awarded the Herbert von Karajan Music Prize in 2016 for his services.