About
“Simon Gaudenz has the necessary sensitivity and intuition not to simply let his creative spirit run wild. No spectacle, but great emotions instead.”
Pizzicato on Mahler's Symphonies Nos. 8 and 9
Biography
Distinctive, vibrant, and versatile – three words that perfectly capture Simon Gaudenz’s unmistakable musical signature.
Since 2018, he has served as General Music Director of the Jena Philharmonic, shaping the city’s musical life with fresh ideas and innovative projects. Together with his orchestra, he inspires audiences through imaginative formats and visionary concepts – among them the internationally acclaimed Mahler–Scartazzini Cycle, with which the ensemble tours regularly.
An internationally sought-after guest conductor, Simon Gaudenz has worked with many of the world’s leading orchestras, including the Staatskapelle Dresden, the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, the Orchestre National de France, the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, the Russian National Philharmonic, the Oslo Philharmonic, the Bamberg Symphony, the WDR Sinfonieorchester, the NDR Radiophilharmonie, the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, the Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della RAI, as well as the radio orchestras of Berlin, Munich, Stuttgart and Saarbrücken, the Philharmonic Orchestras of Monte Carlo, Lyon, Luxembourg, and the Bayerisches Staatsorchester.
He is also a regular guest at major international festivals, including the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival, the Berliner Festwochen, the Bachwochen Thüringen, the Festspiele Südtirol, the Carl Nielsen Festival, and the Schwetzinger Festspiele.
Close artistic partnership connect him with distinguished soloists such as Anne Sofie von Otter, Igor Levit, Michael Barenboim, Daniel Ottensamer, Veronika Eberle, Renaud Capuçon, Arabella Steinbacher, Benjamin Appl, Lise de la Salle, Lilya Zilberstein, Maximilian Hornung, and many others.
Contemporary music is a defining element of Simon Gaudenz’s artistic profile, and he regularly brings its rich diversity to the concert stage. This passion is reflected in numerous world premieres by composers such as Andrea Lorenzo Scartazzini, Moritz Eggert, Henrik Hellstenius, Marc Sinan, Enjott Schneider, Anders Koppel, and Bent Sørensen.
After first positions as Chief Conductor of the Collegium Musicum Basel and as founding member and Artistic Director of the camerata variabile basel, Simon Gaudenz was appointed Principal Guest Conductor of the Odense Symphony Orchestra in 2010. Two years later, he became Chief Conductor of the Hamburger Camerata, with which he presented numerous concerts at the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg.
His extensive discography includes, among others, the highly acclaimed complete recording of Schumann’s symphonies and the Opus Klassik 2020 award-winning album featuring symphonies by Haydn’s contemporary François-Joseph Gossec (for the cpo label). His recordings with the NDR Radiophilharmonie and the Jena Philharmonic – featuring works by Louis Spohr, Carl Loewe, Hugo Wolf, and Karl Weigl – have likewise received great critical and public acclaim. The most recent recordings of the worldwide unique Mahler–Scartazzini Cycle is regarded as an artistic milestone for its unique pairing of Mahler’s complete symphonies with new works by Swiss composer Andrea Lorenzo Scartazzini.
Artistic Profile - At a Glance
Current Position
General Music Director, Jena Philharmonic (since 2018)
Artistic Focus
• Innovative concert formats & long-term artistic cycles
• A fresh and original approach to the classics driven by the passion of historical performance practice
• Strong commitment to contemporary music & new works
• Initiator and artistic driver of the internationally acclaimed Mahler–Scartazzini Cycle
International Activity
• Regular guest conductor with leading orchestras, including Staatskapelle Dresden, Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Orchestre National de France, Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, Oslo Philharmonic
• Guest at major festivals such as Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival, Berliner Festwochen
Soloist Collaborations
Anne Sofie von Otter, Igor Levit, Michael Barenboim, Renaud Capuçon, Daniel Ottensamer, Lise de la Salle
Contemporary Music World Premieres
Andrea Lorenzo Scartazzini, Moritz Eggert, Henrik Hellstenius
Previous Positions
• Principal Guest Conductor, Odense Symphony Orchestra (from 2010)
• Chief Conductor, Hamburger Camerata (from 2012)
• Chief Conductor, Collegium Musicum Basel
• Founding member and Artistic Director, camerata variabile basel
Discography & Awards
• Complete recording of Schumann’s symphonies
• Opus Klassik Award 2020 for the Gossec symphonies
• Acclaimed recordings with NDR Radiophilharmonie and Jena Philharmonic (Spohr, Loewe, Wolf, Weigl)
• Mahler–Scartazzini Cycle (complete symphonies), regarded as an artistic milestone