Gabriel Chmura
Former Music Director of the
National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa, Canada,
and the Polish
National Radio Symphony Orchestra Katowice, he became in 2012 the
Artistic Director of the Poznan Opera and in September 2015 also the
First Guest Conductor of the Krakow Philharmonic. |
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History
Born in Poland, Gabriel Chmura grew up in Israel , where he studied piano and
composition at the Music Academy of Tel Aviv. He then studied conducting with
Pierre Dervaux in Paris, Hans Swarowsky in Vienna and with Franco Ferrara in
Siena, Italy.
Awards
In 1971 he was the first prize winner in the Herbert von Karajan
Competition in Berlin, as well as the Gold Medal at the Cantelli Competition of Milano’s “La
Scala” .
These victories led to extensive international engagements.
2012 he won the Jan Kiepura
Prize for “ Best Operatic Conducting “ ( Shostakovich: Lady Macbeth from
Mzensk ).
2013 he was awarded the title of
Doctor honoris causa from the Academy of Music in Wroclaw ( Breslau
).
2017 he received the highest
Polish award : “ Gloria Artis Gold “ for his contribution to Polish
Art.
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Appointments
Mr. Chmura was appointed Music Director of the opera house in Aachen, Germany,
in 1974 and retained this position until his appointment as Music Director
of the Bochumer Philharmonic in 1983.
In 1987, he was appointed Music director of the National Arts Centre
Orchestra in Ottawa, Canada. With this orchestra he made extensive tours in
North America, including Carnegie Hall in New York.
In 2001, Gabriel Chmura was appointed as Music Director of the Polish
National Radio Symphony Orchestra Katowice, and in August 2012, he became
the artistic director of the Poznan Opera in Poland.
He made his
Munich debut in 1974 with “Othello” and was immediately re-engaged for
“Carmen”. Further he conducted a highly successful “Samson et Dalila” in
Barcelona, a critically acclaimed “Werther” at the Paris Opera and “Coq
d’Or” at the Chatelet Theatre, Paris. With the National Arts Centre
Orchestra of Canada he completed the “Da Ponte Cycle” ( Figaro, Don Giovanni, Cosi fan tutte) , Faust
(staging by Robert Wilson) with the State Opera in Warsaw and lots more.
His recent productions include the two Weinberg operas "The Passenger"
(in Warsaw) and "The Portrait" (in Nancy) both staged by David Pountney
Recordings
G. Chmura has recorded with the London Symphony for DGG, and with the Munich
and the Berlin Radio Orchestras for CBS. Schubert’s “Lazarus” with the
Stuttgart Radio Orchestra, Hermann Prey and Edith Mathis on the “Orfeo” label
received the “Grand Prix de Disque Mondial de Montreux”. His recording of
Haydn’s symphonies no. 6, 7 and 8 with the National Arts Centre Orchestra for
CBC was chosen as “Best Choice” by the American Record Guide and was nominated
for the Canadian JUNO Award.
With his orchestra (Polish National
Radio Symphony)he recorded Mahler 1st and 3 CDs for the label Chandos of
Weinberg music ( Symphonies IV, V , XIV and XVI ).
With Warner Classics he recorded
a album with Prokofiev and Weinberg V. symphonies.
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