Biography
Gerd Schaller was born in Bamberg. He studied conducting at the Musikhochschule Würzburg, which he concluded with honours.
His conducting career began in 1993 at the Staatsoper Hannover. In 1998, he became principal conductor of the Staatstheater Braunschweig, and from 2003 to 2006 he was general music director in Magdeburg. Since this time, he has collaborated with numerous orchestras both in Germany and in other countries.
In the field of opera, Gerd Schaller has celebrated considerable successes in the German and Italian repertoire and has an excellent name especially in connection with the works of Richard Wagner, Richard Strauss and Giuseppe Verdi. In addition to the well-known repertoire, Gerd Schaller actively furthers the music of lesser known composers as well, and has for example conducted several performances of Alban Berg’s Wozzeck at the National Theatre in Warsaw, Jules Massenets Hérodiade, Erich Wolfgang Korngolds Die tote Stadt or Francesco Cilea`s Adriana Lecouvreur.
With his distinct thirst for knowledge and his penchant for new and unknown music, Gerd Schaller also enthusiastically pursues the rediscovery of forgotten operas and rarities of the concert repertoire, which in the meantime form an important part of his extensive œuvre. For example, his performance of Carl Goldmark’s opera The Queen of Sheba and the first recording of Johann Simon Mayr’s Fedra in co-operation with North German Radio have been highly praised. Schaller’s interpretation of Carl Goldmark’s romantic opera Merlin, also a first recording, released in co-operation with Bavarian Radio and the Profil Hänssler label, was highly applauded by both the public and the musical press.
In the course of his career, Schaller has built up a very broad repertoire, ranging from the Baroque to contemporary music. Particularly his well-founded interpretations of late romantic music, as well as the music of the 20th century moderns, have received excellent reviews. He frequently pursues his particular interest in performing contemporary music.
His many recordings for broadcasting studios and CD span a wide range of styles, with particular focus on the works of the Vienna Classics and the Romantics, especially the symphonies of Anton Bruckner.
Schaller is a welcome guest conductor, collaborating with a number of well known orchestras, including the Hannover State Orchestra, the Radio Philharmonic Orchestra Hannover of the North German Radio, the Munich Radio Orchestra, the Radio Symphony Orchestra Bucharest, the George Enescu Philharmonic Bucharest, the Symphony Orchestra of the Prague National Theatre, the National Opera Orchestra Warsaw, the Dresden Kapellsolisten Chamber Orchestra, the Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra Leipzig, the Munich Bach Soloists, the Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra Bamberg, the Braunschweig State Orchestra, the Meiningen Court Orchestra, the Magdeburg Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Lower Saxony Chamber Orchestra.
For several years, he also lectured on conducting at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Hannover.
Gerd Schaller is the founder and musical director of the Ebracher Musiksommer Festival, which in co-operation with Bavarian Radio has been an established part of the Musikzauber Franken concerts for many years.