Alain Altinoglu in conversation with Philipp Bohnen (13 min.)

Paris-born conductor Alain Altinoglu has performed at the Salzburg and Bayreuth Festivals and regularly makes guest appearances at the world’s major music theatre stages. As chief conductor of the Brussels opera house La Monnaie, he will also assume the same position with the hr Sinfonieorchester in Frankfurt from the 2021/22 season. After making his debut with the Berliner Philharmoniker in 2017, Altinoglu returned in December 2020 with works by Bizet and Stravinsky. In this interview with Philharmoniker violinist Philipp Bohnen, he talks about his work at opera houses and in the concert hall, how much he is looking forward to the post in Frankfurt, and about the unhappy life of George Bizet, who died before the global success of his opera Carmen began to materialise. The programme included the C major Symphony, an early masterpiece by the composer, and Igor Stravinsky’s Pulcinella Suite.