Bäumer goes to Prague: Mainz loses his star conductor!
Bäumer goes to Prague: Mainz loses his star conductor!
Hermann Bäumer, current general music director and chief conductor at the State Theater Mainz, will take over the position of the music director of the State Opera Prague from the 2025/26 season. This was announced on January 8, 2025. Bäumer has decided not to extend his contract in Mainz beyond the current season in order to devote itself to this new challenge. The State Theater and the Philharmonic State Orchestra Mainz congratulate Bäumer on this important appointment. Director Markus Müller was pleased with Bäumer's new role and emphasized his outstanding qualities as a conductor.
The State Opera Prague, founded as a new German theater in 1888, has a rich history and offers a variety of classic opera performances. Bäumer had previously worked with the Prague State Opera, which also underlines his appointment. He was involved in productions like Richard Strauss' "The Rosenkavalier" and Dmitri Schostakovich's "Lady Macbeth von Mzensk". Bäumer himself emphasizes that the Prague State Opera is a house with fantastic singers, a versatile orchestra and a great team.
upcoming obligations in Mainz
Bäumer will lead several productions and concerts before moving to Prague. Two music theater productions and three symphony concerts are planned. On January 24th, the premiere of "L’Aiglon" by Jacques Ibert and Arthur Honegger. Later on June 28, Leoš Janáček's premiere follows "The Smart Fückslein".
The following symphony concerts are planned in the upcoming concert season: The 5th Symphony Concerto will take place on January 10th and 11th with works by Jón Leifs, Ludwig van Beethoven and Bohuslav Martinů. The 6th symphony concert will be listed on March 14 and 15 under Bäumer's management, with Maurice Ravel and Kinan Azmeh being on the program. His last symphony concert in Mainz is planned for June 14th and 15th in the Hohen Cathedral in Mainz, with "Éclairs sur l’U-Delà" by Olivier Messiaen.succession and new challenges
Bäumer follows Andriy Yurkevych, who, for personal reasons, withdraws from his position as music director at the Prague State Opera. The Czech chord director Zuzana Kadlčíková is also becoming the new chord director. She brings experience from her previous activity at the Slovak National Opera in Bratislava, where she had worked as a chord director and conductor since 2021. Kadlčíková succeeds Adolf Melichar, who remains in the Prague State Opera as a chord director. Bäumer expressed his anticipation for the upcoming commitment and emphasized the quality of the ensemble and the institution.
The State Opera Prague, an impressive opera house with an antique facade, was released in 2017 and reopened in 2020. This renovation cost almost 51 million euros and underlined the significant importance of the opera in cultural life Prague. With Bäumer at the top, the audience may be excited about exciting musical experiences and innovative performances in the coming years.
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