Kirill Petrenko

Kirill Petrenko was born in 1972 in the Siberian city of Omsk. After studying in his home city, as well as in Feldkirch and in Vienna, his first conducting post was at Vienna’s Volksoper, from where he moved to Meiningen to take up the position of music director, which he held from 1999 to 2002. It was during this time, in 2001, that his interpretation of Wagner’s »Ring« cycle first drew international attention. This success led to his appointment as music director of the Komische Oper in Berlin. At the same time he was invited to conduct at the world’s leading opera houses, including Milan’s La Scala, the state opera houses of Vienna and Munich, as well as New York’s MET. Petrenko is also a popular guest conductor with top symphony orchestras. On September 1st 2013 he will become the new music director of Bavarian State Opera in Munich.