MARCUS
MERKEL

Conductor, Composer, Pianist

„... one of the most interesting young German conductors of the present day ...“

— MDR Klassik

Marcus Merkel was born in Berlin and has been the Chief Conductor at Theater Koblenz since the 2022/23 season. He also performs as a pianist and composer. Besides guest conducting in Antwerp, Dresden, Madrid, Munich, Kyoto (Japan), Berlin, and Amsterdam, he has worked with soloists such as Jonas Kaufmann, Elina Garanča, Erwin Schrott, and Kristine Opolais. Sir Bryn Terfel & Ludovic Tézier rely on him as a conductor for their concert evenings.

Since youth work and supporting young musicians are very important to him, he founded the "Junge Philharmonie Berlin" and the "Junge Konzerte Graz" and works with Jeunesse Austria.

In the 2025/26 season, he will make his debut with the Jenaer Philharmonie and the Brucknerorchester Linz with symphony concerts, returns to the Dresden Semperoper with a series of performances of Die Fledermaus, and makes his debut with the RSO Wien with a CD production featuring the Austrian star baritone Rafael Fingerlos.

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Schedule

Marcus Merkel at Antwerp Symphony (c) Antwerp Symphony & Bjorn Comhaire
Sat
27
Dec
Strauß

Die Fledermaus – Semperoper Dresden

Opera
19:00 – 22:00
Production: Strauß: Die Fledermaus
Semperoper Dresden Theaterplatz 2, 01067 Dresden, DeutschlandMaps
"Effervescent irony combined with a sparkling champagne mood to the sounds of the waltz."

Operetta in three acts
Text version after Carl Haffner and Richard Genée based on the vaudeville Le Réveillon by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy

In German with German and English surtitles

Gabriel von Eisenstein Christoph Pohl
Rosalinde Elissa Huber
Alfred Mario Lerchenberger
Prince Orlofsky Valerie Eickhoff
Adele Katrina Galka
Dr Falke Anton Beliaev
Frank Markus Marquardt
Dr Blind Gerald Hupach
Ida Cornelia Butz, Gundula Rosenkranz
Frog Wolfgang Stumph

Musical direction Marcus Merkel
Production Günter Krämer
Stage Gisbert Jäkel
Costumes Falk Bauer
Lighting Jan Seeger
Choreography Otto Pichler
Choir Jan Hoffmann
Saxon State Opera Choir Dresden
Saxon State Orchestra Dresden
semperoper.de
Fri
02
Jan
Strauß

Die Fledermaus – Semperoper Dresden

Opera
19:00 – 22:00
Production: Strauß: Die Fledermaus
Semperoper Dresden Theaterplatz 2, 01067 Dresden, DeutschlandMaps
"Effervescent irony combined with a sparkling champagne mood to the sounds of the waltz."

Operetta in three acts
Text version after Carl Haffner and Richard Genée based on the vaudeville Le Réveillon by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy

In German with German and English surtitles

Gabriel von Eisenstein Christoph Pohl
Rosalinde Elissa Huber
Alfred Mario Lerchenberger
Prince Orlofsky Valerie Eickhoff
Adele Katrina Galka
Dr Falke Anton Beliaev
Frank Markus Marquardt
Dr Blind Gerald Hupach
Ida Cornelia Butz, Gundula Rosenkranz
Frog Wolfgang Stumph

Musical direction Marcus Merkel
Production Günter Krämer
Stage Gisbert Jäkel
Costumes Falk Bauer
Lighting Jan Seeger
Choreography Otto Pichler
Choir Jan Hoffmann
Saxon State Opera Choir Dresden
Saxon State Orchestra Dresden
semperoper.de
Sat
03
Jan
Strauß

Die Fledermaus – Semperoper Dresden

Opera
19:00 – 22:00
Production: Strauß: Die Fledermaus
Semperoper Dresden Theaterplatz 2, 01067 Dresden, DeutschlandMaps
"Effervescent irony combined with a sparkling champagne mood to the sounds of the waltz."

Operetta in three acts
Text version after Carl Haffner and Richard Genée based on the vaudeville Le Réveillon by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy

In German with German and English surtitles

Gabriel von Eisenstein Christoph Pohl
Rosalinde Elissa Huber
Alfred Mario Lerchenberger
Prince Orlofsky Valerie Eickhoff
Adele Katrina Galka
Dr Falke Anton Beliaev
Frank Markus Marquardt
Dr Blind Gerald Hupach
Ida Cornelia Butz, Gundula Rosenkranz
Frog Wolfgang Stumph

Musical direction Marcus Merkel
Production Günter Krämer
Stage Gisbert Jäkel
Costumes Falk Bauer
Lighting Jan Seeger
Choreography Otto Pichler
Choir Jan Hoffmann
Saxon State Opera Choir Dresden
Saxon State Orchestra Dresden
semperoper.de
Fri
09
Jan
Strauß

Die Fledermaus – Semperoper Dresden

Opera
19:00 – 22:00
Production: Strauß: Die Fledermaus
Semperoper Dresden Theaterplatz 2, 01067 Dresden, DeutschlandMaps
"Effervescent irony combined with a sparkling champagne mood to the sounds of the waltz."

Operetta in three acts
Text version after Carl Haffner and Richard Genée based on the vaudeville Le Réveillon by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy

In German with German and English surtitles

Gabriel von Eisenstein Christoph Pohl
Rosalinde Elissa Huber
Alfred Mario Lerchenberger
Prince Orlofsky Valerie Eickhoff
Adele Katrina Galka
Dr Falke Anton Beliaev
Frank Markus Marquardt
Dr Blind Gerald Hupach
Ida Cornelia Butz, Gundula Rosenkranz
Frog Wolfgang Stumph

Musical direction Marcus Merkel
Production Günter Krämer
Stage Gisbert Jäkel
Costumes Falk Bauer
Lighting Jan Seeger
Choreography Otto Pichler
Choir Jan Hoffmann
Saxon State Opera Choir Dresden
Saxon State Orchestra Dresden
semperoper.de
Fri
16
Jan
Strauß

Die Fledermaus – Semperoper Dresden

Opera
19:00 – 22:00
Production: Strauß: Die Fledermaus
Semperoper Dresden Theaterplatz 2, 01067 Dresden, DeutschlandMaps
"Effervescent irony combined with a sparkling champagne mood to the sounds of the waltz."

Operetta in three acts
Text version after Carl Haffner and Richard Genée based on the vaudeville Le Réveillon by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy

In German with German and English surtitles

Gabriel von Eisenstein Christoph Pohl
Rosalinde Elissa Huber
Alfred Mario Lerchenberger
Prince Orlofsky Valerie Eickhoff
Adele Katrina Galka
Dr Falke Anton Beliaev
Frank Markus Marquardt
Dr Blind Gerald Hupach
Ida Cornelia Butz, Gundula Rosenkranz
Frog Wolfgang Stumph

Musical direction Marcus Merkel
Production Günter Krämer
Stage Gisbert Jäkel
Costumes Falk Bauer
Lighting Jan Seeger
Choreography Otto Pichler
Choir Jan Hoffmann
Saxon State Opera Choir Dresden
Saxon State Orchestra Dresden
semperoper.de
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Reviews

„Voces del Real: Ludovic Tézier“

„... The discovery of the evening, however, was the conductor, a young artist who is able to switch between the academicism of a David, the Offenbachian splendour, the biblical and oriental cancan of a Don Camille, the decadent exaltation of a Massenet and the monumentality of a Wagner.“ — Blas Matamoro, scherzo

„La clemenza di Tito“

„... The Staatsorchester Rheinische Philharmonie, under the direction of Marcus Merkel, performs in the orchestra pit of the Rokokotheater with a wide-awake presence and delivers a lively and crisp sound that does Mozart credit. ...“ — Uwe Rauschelbach, Schwetzinger Zeitung

„Carmen“

„...Conductor Marcus Merkel challenges the orchestra made up of members of the Graz Philharmonic Orchestra to brilliant performances, builds up a broad dynamic spectrum and awakens the Andalusian flair in the audience's imagination with Bizet's sparkling rhythms....“ — Paul Stepanek, Oberösterreichische Nachrichten

„Così fan tutte“

„...The sparks also fly in the orchestra pit, Marcus Merkel draws a lively Mozart sound from the Rheinische Philharmonie....“ — Florian Oberhummer, Salzburger Nachrichten

„Die Zauberflöte“

„...Conductor Marcus Merkel [...] puts himself entirely at the service of the music and supports the singers. He ensures balance and vivid, natural phrasing. The orchestra plays wonderfully light-footed.“ — Jenny Camilleri, De Volkskrant

More reviews
Tosca Preview - Jonas Kaufmann & Marcus Merkel

Repertoire

Marcus Merkel's repertoire includes 54 works of stage literature - in 69 productions to date.

View entire repertoire
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