First guest conductor
Anthony Bramall
Born as the son of a Viennese mother and an English father, the Londonish conductor Anthony Bramall first completed a voice degree at the »Guildhall School of Music and Drama« and after graduation switched to conducting. He functioned as conductor in many musical theatres in Germany, among them Pforzheim, Augsburg, Coburg and at Staatstheater Hannover. At the same time he participated in the third International »Hans Swarowsky« conducting competition in Vienna, where he won a special prize. As a result of that he was able to record several CDs for the renowned NAXOS label, to conduct in the »RIAS Presents« series with the Berlin Philharmonic and make radio recordings with the RIAS Orchestra of Berlin.
During his time as first conductor at Staatsoper Hannover he for the first time performed at the Semper Opera in Dresden as conductor with the revised production of Gioachino Rossini’s »La Cenerentola«. For more than twelve years Anthony Bramall was a regular guest conductor at the Semper Opera, culminating in the 2003 premiere of »Madame Butterfly«.
From 1995 to 2002 he was general music director of the United Municipal Theatres of Krefeld and Mönchengladbach, which made it possible for him to perfect a large concert repertory besides his own broad opera repertory. There followed appearances as concert conductor on many of the world’s stages, including in the United States, Romania, Holland and with the NHK Orchestra in Tokyo.
In 2002 Anthony Bramall was appointed general music director of Staatstheater Karlsruhe. With the Baden State Orchestra he not only conducted concert events like Gustav Mahler’s Eighth Symphony but also accomplished projects like a »Ring« cycle and productions of Richard Strauss’s »Frau ohne Schatten« and »Elektra«. Besides guest appearances at Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich he developed intense collaboration with Teatro lirico di Cagliari in Sardinia where he conducted premieres of Richard Wagner’s »Die Walküre«, Giacomo Puccini’s »La bohème«, Ennio Porrino’s »I Shardana« as well as several symphony concerts.
After three years as professor for orchestral conducting at the »Franz Liszt« Academy of Music in Weimar, during which he also conducted various productions at Staatstheater am Gärtnerplatz such as »Pirates of Penzance«, »Die Liebe zu den drei Orangen« and »Carmen«, Bramall received a call to Leipzig in 2011 where he as deputy general music director brought productions like »Tosca«, »Nabucco«, »Faust«, »The Rake’s Progress«, »Lucia di Lammermoor« and, once again, »Madame Butterfly« to their successful premieres. In November 2016 he additionally made his debut at the Komische Oper in Berlin with the English opera »Peter Pan« by Richard Ayres.
From 2017/2018 until 2023/2024 Anthony Bramall was principal conductor of the Staatstheater am Gärtnerplatz.