DirkKaftan

Dirk Kaftan was appointed the General Music Director of the Beethoven Orchester Bonn and the Oper Bonn in the summer of 2017.

His broad repertoire ranges from performances of Beethoven’s symphonies to Nono’s Intolleranza 1960 and The Merry Widow, as well as various intercultural projects.

He was the initiator and driving force behind a string of projects commemorating Bonn's most famous son during the Beethoven Anniversary Year, including the Beethoven Lounges, Hofkapelle and Beethoven Moves!. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dirk developed new concert formats, such as 'Beethoven Pure', which allowed the composer's symphonies to be performed in chamber music formations.

Dirk is a welcome guest at the world’s most renowned concert halls, with recent highlights that include performances with the Royal Danish Orchestra, Bruckner Orchester Linz, Ensemble Modern and a much-acclaimed rendition of Tristan at the Staatsoper Hannover. In 2016, he conducted Miroslav Srnka’s Make No Noise at the Bregenzer Festspiele.

While he enjoys his various guest appearances, Dirk's work on his own stage always remains the focus of his commitments, and his dedication to his own ensemble, orchestra and choir is a trait that is appreciated in both musicians and colleagues alike. This work ethic, borne of the Kapellmeister tradition has accompanied him since his very first appointments, but also in his previous posts as General Music Director in Augsburg and Graz. His work is highly cherished by audiences and critics, with his most recent recording of Beethoven’s Egmont - his first with the Beethoven Orchestra Bonn - received rave reviews and was awarded the OPUS KLASSIK Award in 2020. His earlier productions in Graz and Augsburg included, among others, Der ferne Klang (The Distant Sound), Jenůfa and The Greek Passion.

At the beginning of 2021, the Beethoven Orchester Bonn with Dirk Kaftan was named a United Nations Climate Change Goodwill Ambassador by the UN Climate Change Secretariat (UNFCCC). During the summer of the same year, Dirk and the ensemble were awarded the European Culture Prize.