The Rising Star of Classical Music: Joana Mallwitz
The renowned conductor Joana Mallwitz recently expressed her apologies for arriving late to her interview at the iconic Metropolitan Opera House last week. She explained that she needed a moment to catch her breath following an intense rehearsal. “Conducting is sweaty business,” she remarked, as she gracefully settled into a straight-backed sofa in the press lounge, her long fingers elegantly crossed at the wrists.
On Monday, Mallwitz, 39, who is currently the music director of the Konzerthaus Berlin and one of Germany’s most rapidly ascending classical music stars, will make her much-anticipated debut at the Met with Mozart’s timeless opera, “The Marriage of Figaro.” She has cultivated a deep connection with this opera since her early career, beginning at the age of 19 at Theater Heidelberg—a small venue where her responsibilities encompassed “everything that one does as Kapellmeister.” This included rehearsing singers, playing the continuo part on the harpsichord, and stepping in at a moment’s notice to conduct performances.
“You develop a relationship with such a work,” Mallwitz said, reflecting on her bond with “Figaro.” “You get to know each other.” This relationship was evident during a recent rehearsal, where she meticulously guided the orchestra through the overture, honing dynamic contrasts and emphasizing the element of surprise—“like rock music,” she explained to the musicians—of the abrupt loud outbursts that interrupt the vibrant, fast-paced notes. She emphasized that the goal was to “infuse a certain energy into the sound that doesn’t harden as the volume increases.”
Working with the musicians of the Met, she found immense joy, noting, “After fine-tuning a small section, they are able to feel what my style is and transfer it” seamlessly to the rest of the piece. “They’re capable of picking it up because, mentally, they are virtuosos,” she added. “It’s incredible what this orchestra can deliver in terms of tempo, transparency, and a rich diversity of effects. My aim is to draw on all of that while also achieving a perfect blend of lightness and drama.”
Lightness and drama, approachability coupled with an uncompromising seriousness in her interpretation of a score—these qualities lie at the core of Mallwitz’s meteoric rise in a field traditionally dominated by men. In 2014, at the young age of 28, she became the music director of Theater Erfurt, making her the youngest conductor to hold such a prestigious position in Europe. By 2018, she had taken the helm at the Nuremberg State Theater, which had previously served as a launching pad for the illustrious conductor Christian Thielemann when he was just 23. Her second season there saw her being voted the best conductor of the year by a panel of esteemed German critics. A celebrated production of Mozart’s “Così Fan Tutte” at Salzburg in 2020 further catapulted her into the international spotlight.
