Principal Conductor Düsseldorfer Symphoniker

Chief Conductor Danish Chamber Orchestra

Born in Budapest Adam Fischer is one of the leading conductors of our time. In 1987, he founded the Österreichisch-Ungarische Haydn Philharmonie with musicians from his two home countries Austria and Hungary, and at the same time the Haydn Festival in Eisenstadt as an international centre for the performance of Haydn’s music.

Whether in Bayreuth, at the Metropolitan Opera or at Teatro alla Scala in Milan, whether with the Wiener or Berliner Philharmoniker, the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment or at the Salzburg Festival: Adam Fischer is recognised, by audiences and musicians alike, as a mediator between music and the outside world.

Adam Fischer acquired his profound understanding of the opera world and his unusually broad repertoire by taking the classic career path steps from répétiteur (Graz) to General Music Director (Freiburg, Kassel, Mannheim und Budapest). His international breakthrough came in 1978 when he took over the baton from Karl Böhm, conducting “Fidelio” at the Bayerische Staatsoper. Since then he has been a guarantor of thrilling opera evenings at all leading opera houses of the world. His closest links are with the Wiener Staatsoper where he was appointed Honorary Member in 2017.

When he became Chief Conductor of the Danish Chamber Orchestra in 1998, he found the ideal partners for his innovative and radical ideas. Together, over many years of collaboration, they have been able to develop their very own individual style. With a recording of all Mozart symphonies (International Classical Music Award 2015) and an award-winning complete Beethoven recording (International Classical Music Award Recording of the Year 2020 and nominated for an OPUS Klassik 2020) Adam Fischer ventured into new territory in terms of musical interpretation to enthusiastic international acclaim.

Adam Fischer also embarked on a completely new path in 2006 when he founded the Wagner Days in Budapest: together with Gábor Zoboki, the architect of the Palace of Arts (MUPA), he realised his idea of performing Wagner’s work in a concert hall by including the entire hall in an all-round artistic experience. The Budapest Wagner Days under Adam Fischer’s artistic leadership have established themselves as a world-class Wagner opera festival which has been named “Bayreuth on the Danube” by the New York Times.

As Principal Conductor of the Düsseldorfer Symphoniker, Adam Fischer began a Haydn-Mahler cycle in 2015 which was also received with international enthusiasm. In addition to excellent reviews in all relevant media, his Mahler recordings with the orchestra received the highest distinctions with the 2019 BBC Music Magazine Award and the OPUS KLASSIK 2019 for best orchestra recordings of the year.

Adam Fischer regularly uses his success and the broad international public for important messages about humanity and democracy. The Human Rights Award of the Tonhalle Düsseldorf which he has been presenting every year since 2016 is a testimony to this. For his commitment he received - amongst others - the renowned Wolf Prize of the Wolf Foundation in Jerusalem and the Gold Medal in the Arts of the Kennedy Center, Washington. He has been a member of the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights for more than twenty years.

Adam Fischer is an Honorary Member of the Musikverein für Steiermark in Graz. He holds the honorary Austrian title of Professor and he has received the Order of Dannebrog from the Queen of Denmark. He lives with his family in Hamburg, Berlin and Budapest.

Besides his regular activities with the Düsseldorf Symphony Orchestra, the Danish Chamber Orchestra and the Budapest Wagner Days highlights of the 2021/22 season include appearances at the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino ("Così fan tutte"), opera engagements at the Hamburgische Staatsoper, and a concert version of "Parsifal" with the Danish National Symphony Orchestra, as well as concerts with the Berliner Philharmoniker, the Wiener Symphoniker (among others at the Musikverein Vienna and the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg), and with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment at the Royal Festival Hall London. 

SEASON 2021/2022