Conductor Joana Mallwitz is coming to Berlin: full power at the start

Sebastian Nordmann couldn’t be happier. At the seasonal press conference, the director of the Konzerthaus can not only present Joana Mallwitz, one of the most sought-after German artists who has been engaged at Gendarmenmarkt for at least five years. But also the first Berlin chief conductor who is not a fiction – like Kate Blanchett as the Philharmoniker’s general music dragon in the feature film “Tar”.

Joana Mallwitz, born in Hildesheim in 1986, first engagement at the age of 19 in Hildesheim, from 2014 music director at the Erfurt Opera House, from 2018 then at the Staatstheater Nürnberg, does not like to talk about whether she had it particularly difficult as a woman in the male domain of conducting , or whether there should even be quotas for greater gender equality in their profession. She just wants to make music.

The director proudly emphasizes that she does not have several managerial jobs at the same time, as is quite common in the industry, but that she will concentrate entirely on her position at the Konzerthausorchester. Of course, the much-sought-after artist continues to make guest appearances – for example, she will conduct a “Rosenkavalier” series at the Lindenoper in December – but in her inaugural season, Joana Mallwitz will have an impressive 36 concerts at the Gendarmenmarkt.

Great romanticism is involved – with the “Artist in Residence” of the Konzerthaus, the violinist Augustin Hadelich, she interprets the Brahms Concerto and a new work by the Irishman Donnacha Dennehy – but she also places an emphasis on the works of Kurt Weill from his Berlin years, or puts Benjamin Britten’s “War Requiem” on the program.

Journeys inside the scores

At a “Mostly Mallwitz” week in November, she will perform as a pianist, lead a strolling concert on the subject of dance, perform with the in-house orchestra academy and offer a children’s concert. Educational work is also very important to her: With the moderated “expedition concerts”, which she invented eleven years ago, she now also invites the Berlin audience to voyages of discovery into the interior of the scores. And in the new “Night Sessions” she wants to stylistically challenge herself and her musicians to the maximum.

Charming, enthusiastic – and quick-witted

With Joana Mallwitz’s strong presence, there won’t be much room for other artistic positions in the next season. Especially since the Konzerthausorchester still keeps close contact with its former directors in an absolutely lovable way. The outgoing boss Christoph Eschenbach will develop four programs in 2023/24, his predecessor Ivan Fischer three. Seven guest conductors are expected at the Gendarmenmarkt, specialists in baroque music such as Ton Koopman or the Dresdner Kreuzchor cantor Martin Lehmann, as well as Michael Sanderling, Joshua Weilerstein, Marc Albrecht, Francois Leleux and Jurai Valcuha.

At the traditional “Hommage” in February 2024, a grande dame of the piano is to be celebrated, Elisabeth Leonskaja. She will always be there on stage on all eleven dates.

On the cover of the season preview brochure, Joana Mallwitz appears surprisingly unapproachable, even armored: dressed all in black, with a turtleneck sweater that reaches down to her chin. Live on stage, however, she is extremely charming at the press conference, reports enthusiastically about her projects and smiles brightly at everyone. The Maestra as a human catcher.

When I asked how she keeps her career and family life in balance, and whether her husband, the tenor Simon Bode, is now stepping back from work to have time for their small child, Joana Mallwitz replies quickly: “Behind every successful person there is always a great one Team!”