Karl-Heinz Steffens

Karl -Heinz Steffens (* 1961 in Trier ) is a German conductor and clarinetist. He finished his work in 2007 as a solo clarinetist with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and was music director of the Staatskapelle and artistic director of the Halle Opera House. In addition, Karl-Heinz Steffens is since August 2009 chief conductor of the German State Philharmonic of the Rhineland -Palatinate.

Education and Career

Karl-Heinz Steffens studied from 1982-85 clarinet at the University of Music and Performing Arts Stuttgart with Ulf Rodenhäuser. After his first engagement as a clarinetist at the Staatstheater Kassel, he played as a solo clarinetist at the Frankfurt Opera ( 1985-89 ), the Symphony Orchestra of the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra ( 1989-96 ) and the Berlin Philharmonic (2001-2007). In 2007, Sir Simon Rattle commissioned the German composer Christian Jost with a Clarinet Concerto ( Heart of Darkness ) for the Berlin Philharmonic and Karl -Heinz Steffens. He has worked with conductors such as Lorin Maazel, Kurt Masur, Sir Colin Davis and Jörg -Peter Weigle.

1996-1999 Steffens taught at the Academy of Music and Drama Hannover. Since 2001 he has been a professor at the Academy of Music "Hanns Eisler" Berlin.

In 2007 he finished his work as a solo clarinetist in April 2008 and was music director of the Staatskapelle Halle and urban opera. At the invitation of his patron Daniel Barenboim Steffens was in 2008 made ​​his debut as a conductor at the Berlin State Opera Unter den Linden with Beethoven's Fidelio. In August 2009, Steffens addition, principal conductor of the German State Philharmonic of the Rhineland -Palatinate was.