Alexander Joel
When were you first enchanted by (musical) theatre in your life? And what was it that enchanted you?
1977, Carmen at the Vienna State Opera
Why do people sing and why don't they speak?
Singing is a fundamental form of expression that triggers feelings of well-being and emotions.
What role can/should musical theatre play in today's society?
In this day and age, culture and entertainment are more important than ever in stimulating reflection.
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Born in
London (Great Britain)
Education
Piano and composition at the Vienna University of Music, conducting at the Vienna Conservatory (graduated with honours in 1996)
Important Engagements
Tosca, La bohème, La traviata, Carmen, Rigoletto at Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Die Fledermaus at Bayerische Staatsoper, Madama Butterfly (DVD-Recording), La bohème, Tosca, Don Carlos, La traviata, Il Trittico, Luisa Miller at Staatsoper Hamburg, Carmen, La bohème, Tosca, Don Giovanni, Die Zauberflöte at the Royal Swedish National Opera, Macbeth at Royal Opera Copenhagen, Turandot, Lakmé at Opernhaus Zürich, La bohème, Turandot, Tosca at Deutsche Oper Berlin, La bohème, Luisa Miller, Macbeth at English National Opera, Die Frau ohne Schatten Das Wunder der Heliane, Don Carlos, Othello, La forza del destino at Vlaamse Opera, Faust at Staatsoper Hamburg, Parsifal at Nationaltheater Mannheim, Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg and Tristan und Isolde at Staatstheater Wiesbaden, Concert at the Tivoli Concert Hall with the Copenhagen Philharmonic Orchestra
Formative collaboration with these artists
Prof. Franz Bauer-Theussl, Fabio Luisi, Keith Warner, Peter Konwitschny, Uwe Laufenberg, Juan Diego Flórez, Bryn Terfel, Angela Gheorghiu, Andreas Schager, Linda Watson, Samuel Ramey
Debut and important works atVolksoper Wien
since September 2022/23: Principal Guest Conductor at Volksoper Wien
Debut: Wiener Blut (1999)
Important works at Volksoper: Der VogelhändlerDie Fledermaus, Der Bettelstudent, Die Zauberflöte, La bohème, La traviata, Hoffmanns Erzählungen, Das Land des Lächelns, …
Significant awards and honours
Winner of the Capuana Competition in Spoleto
Other
Principal Conductor, Deutsche Oper am Rhein, 2001–2007
General Music Director, Staatstheater Braunschweig, 2007–2014
Principal Guest Conductor, Vlaamse Oper, 2015–2018
Website
* Use of the photograph (© Julia Wesely) solely for the purpose of current reporting on the Vienna Volksoper.
