Franz Welser-Möst

Franz Welser-Möst (born 16 August 1960) is an Austrian conductor.

Biography

Franz Leopold Maria Möst was born in Linz, Austria and later studied under the composer Balduin Sulzer. As a youth in Linz, he studied the violin and had developed an interest in conducting. After suffering injuries in a car crash that led to nerve damage, he stopped his violin studies and shifted full-time to conducting studies. [cite news | url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2005/08/18/bmfranz18.xml | title= Why all those insults made me stronger | work=Telegraph | author=Ivan Hewitt | date=2005-08-18 | accessdate=2008-10-05]

In 1985, Möst assumed the stage name "Welser-Möst" on suggestion of his mentor, Baron Andreas von Bennigsen of Liechtenstein, thus paying homage to the city of Wels where he grew up. [cite web | author= | title="Was glauben Sie?" – Der Dirigent Franz Welser-Möst | url=http://religion.orf.at/projekt03/tvradio/ra_logos/ra_log060225.htm | language=German | publisher=ORF Religion | date=Date|2006-02-25| accessdate=2007-09-04] [cite news | author= | title=Der Auslandsösterreicher des Jahres 2001–Franz Welser-Möst | url=http://www.weltbund.at/pdf/rwr012003.pdf | format=.PDF | work=ROTWEISSROT | language=German | publisher=Auslandsösterreicher-Weltbund | date=January 2003 | accessdate=2007-09-04] In 1986, he was adopted by von Bennigsen. In 1992, Welser-Möst married von Bennigsen's former wife, Angelika.cite news | first=Norman | last=Lebrecht | title=Franz Welser-Möst — The conductor they loved to hate | url=http://www.scena.org/columns/lebrecht/040212-NL-welsermost.html | work=La Scena Musicale | date=Date|2004-02-12| accessdate=2007-09-04] [cite news | last=Lebrecht | first=Norman | title=He might be smiling now… — Franz Welser-Möst Returns to Conduct the Proms | url=http://www.scena.org/columns/lebrecht/000816-NL-welsermost.html | work=La Scena Musicale | date=Date|2000-08-16| accessdate=2007-09-04] [cite news | first=Ernst | last=Naredi-Rainer| title=Schwierige Annäherung an Wien | url=http://activepaper.tele.net/neuecoat/2007-06-27/Kultur_4.asp | work=NEUE Vorarlberger Tageszeitung | language=German | date=Date|2006-06-27| accessdate=2007-09-04] His first major debuts were at the Salzburg Festival in 1985, followed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra in 1986. Other guest conductor appearances comprised the first five years of his career: his American debut with the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra in 1989, performances with the orchestras of Atlanta, Boston, New York, Chicago, plus frequent returns to the London Philharmonic. In 1990, Welser-Möst became principal conductor of the London Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO). [cite news | author=Nicholas Kenyon | title=A Young Conductor Starts at the Top | url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0CEED9163EF936A25750C0A964958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all | work=New York Times | date=Date|1992-03-15| accessdate=2007-11-03] His LPO tenure was controversial, with London critics giving him the nickname "Frankly Worse than Most". He concluded his LPO tenure in 1996.

From 1995 to 2000, he was music director with the Zurich Opera House. While there, he led 27 new performances as well as numerous revivals. His most noteworthy performances there included the complete "Ring Cycle". He became general music director of the Zurich Opera in September 2005, with an original commitment to the Opera through 2011, but Welser-Möst stood down from the Zurich post in July 2008.

Welser-Möst became music director of The Cleveland Orchestra with the 2002–2003 season, for an initial contract of 5 years. At the end of his first season, his contract was extended for another 5 years. In June 2008, the orchestra announced a further extension of his contract with The Cleveland Orchestra through the 2017–2018 season. [cite news | author=Donald Rosenberg and Zachary Lewis | title=Cleveland Orchestra extends Welser-Most's contract until 2018, plans staged operas | url=http://www.cleveland.com/arts/index.ssf/2008/06/cleveland_orchestra_extends_we.html | work=Cleveland Plain Dealer | date=Date|2008-06-06| accessdate=2008-06-07] [cite news | author=James R. Oestreich | title=Cleveland Orchestra Extends Music Director’s Contract | url=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/07/arts/music/07cond.html | work=New York Times | date=Date|2008-06-07| accessdate=2008-06-07]

On June 6, 2007, the Austrian government announced the appointment of Welser-Möst as Musical Director ("Generalmusikdirektor") of the Vienna State Opera beginning in September 2010, alongside Dominique Meyer as director ("Staatsoperndirektor"). [cite web | first=Nikolaus | last=Pelinka | title=Kulturministerin Claudia Schmied: "Dominique Meyer wird 2010 Direktor der Wiener Staatsoper" | url=http://www.bmukk.gv.at/ministerium/vp/pm/20070606.xml | publisher=Bundesministerium für Unterricht, Kunst und Kultur | language=German | date=Date|2007-06-06| accessdate=2007-09-04] [cite news | first=Matthew | last=Westphal | title=Vienna State Opera Appoints Dominique Meyer Its Next Director, with Franz Welser-Möst as Music Director | work=Playbill Arts |date=Date|2007-06-06| url=http://www.playbillarts.com/news/article/6603.html | accessdate=2007-07-16] Welser-Möst had debuted at the Staatsoper in 1987, taking over from Claudio Abbado Gioachino Rossini's "l'Italiana in Algeri". It took more than 10 years for Welser-Möst to return to the State Opera where he conducted Richard Wagner's "Tristan und Isolde". In December 2006 he led his first new production in Vienna, Richard Strauss' "Arabella".

Franz Welser-Möst is an honorary member of the Wiener Singverein. [cite web
url = http://www.singverein.at/mitglieddownl/7/index.html
title = Wiener Singverein
accessdate = 2008-08-30
author = Dr. Reiber
format = Microsoft Word
publisher = Wiener Singverein
language = German]

Recordings

From the start of his career Welser-Möst has heavily emphasized the importance of recording his work. While conducting the LPO he established an exclusive recording contract with EMI. This move produced several great successes and awards. His 1996 recording of Franz Schmidt's Symphony No. 4 received the Gramophone Award for Best Orchestral Conducting. The CDs of Anton Bruckner's Mass No. 3 "Te Deum" and works of Erich Korngold both received Grammy Award nominations for "Best Classical Album." EMI struck a similar deal with Welser-Möst to record performances at the Zurich Opera and has released a number of DVD's of his Zurich opera productions. In 2008 EMI reissued many of Welser-Möst's earlier recordings in an eight CD set. In October of 2007, Deutsche Grammophon released the first commercial recording featuring Welser-Möst with The Cleveland Orchestra: Beethoven's "Symphony No. 9" including German bass Rene Pape among the soloists. [cite news | first=Anastasia | last=Tsioulcas | title=Cleveland Orchestra partners with DG | url=http://www.gramophone.co.uk/newsMainTemplate.asp?storyID=2770&newssectionID=1 | work=The Gramophone | date=Date|2007-03-06| accessdate=2007-09-04]

References

*cite book | last=Rosenberg | first=Donald | title=The Cleveland Orchestra Story | location=Cleveland | publisher=Gray & Company | year=2000 | isbn=1886228248

External links

* [http://www.clevelandorch.com/html/about/Franz.Main.asp Franz Welser-Möst biography] at The Cleveland Orchestra
* [http://www.lpo.co.uk The London Philharmonic Orchestra website]
* [http://www.opernhaus.ch/e/index.php? The Zürich Opera House website]