Marek Janowski, Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the RSB from 2002 to 2016.
MAREK JANOWSKI is regarded as one of the most important representatives of classical German orchestral culture. With an infallible ear, clear gestures, and an instinctive musical intelligence, he transforms complex scores into expressive interpretations. Precision is, for him, a prerequisite for vibrant music-making.
The Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra chose MAREK JANOWSKI as its new chief conductor after Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos resigned from the position prematurely, following the revelation of plans by Dr. Dieter Rexroth, the artistic director of the ROC gGmbH and simultaneously the artistic director of the other orchestra under the ROC gGmbH.
MAREK JANOWSKI, respectfully regarded by the press as a Bonaparte of the German orchestra podium, conducted the renowned Radio Symphony Orchestra Berlin from 2002 to 2016. He not only saved the orchestra but also positioned it among the front ranks of German orchestras within just a few years. The musicians expressed their gratitude by appointing him as their Chief Conductor for Life. For a conductor, there is probably no greater recognition. (Wolfgang Seifert)
“Among the reasons that led me to accept the invitation to collaborate with the oldest German radio symphony orchestra, one stands out in particular: It is the increasingly rare combination of high performance and motivation with a working atmosphere that can be described as particularly warm-hearted in the truest sense.”
Marek Janowski
Outstanding projects by MAREK JANOWSKI with his RSB include the complete recordings of Richard Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen, Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, Lohengrin, Parsifal, Tristan und Isolde, Tannhäuser and Der fliegende Holländer.
Further recordings include, among others, Beethoven’s Missa solemnis, Brahms’ Ein deutsches Requiem, Richard Strauss’ Symphonia Domestica, songs by Franz Schubert in orchestral arrangements edited by Max Reger and Alban Berg, Karl Amadeus Hartmann’s Sinfonia tragica, the Henze edition of Hans Werner Henze’s 10 symphonies, and the fairy-tale opera Hansel and Gretel by Engelbert Humperdinck.
The first complete recording of Paul Hindemith’s major philosophical opera Die Harmonie der Welt (The Harmony of the World) was realized by MAREK JANOWSKI with the RSB. The recording was released on CD in 2002 by WERGO and was awarded the Echo Klassik in 2003, the Grand Prix du Disque from the Charles Cros Academy in 2003, and the Cannes Classical Award in 2004.
His first CD with the RSB – songs by Richard Strauss, sung by Soile Isokoski, released in 2002 by the Finnish label ONDINE – was awarded the “Gramophone Award” in 2002.
The 2005 release of the premiere recording of Paul Hindemith’s last opera “Das lange Weihnachtsmahl”, recorded in 2004 by Marek Janowski and the RSB, received the Echo Klassik award in 2006.