Delfs, Andreas

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Delfs, Andreas

Delfs, Andreas , German conductor; b. Flensburg, Aug. 30,1959. He received training in piano and theory as a child. He studied conducting with Dohnanyi and Ceccato at the Hamburg Hochschule für Musik, graduating in 1981. At 20, he became music director of the Univ. of Hamburg Sym. Orch. and an assistant at the Hamburg State opéra. He completed his training in conducting with Mester and Ehrling at the Juilliard School in N.Y., where he was awarded his M.A. degree in 1984. After serving as conductor of the Pittsburgh Youth Sym. Orch. (1984–86), he was resident conductor of the Pittsburgh Sym. Orch. from 1986 to 1990. From 1986 to 1995 he also was music director of the Orchestre Suisse des Jeunes, and from 1991 to 1994 of the Bern City Theater. In 1995 he won critical accolades when he conducted Carmen at his debut with the N.Y.C. opéra. From 1997 to 2000 he was Generalmusikdirektor of the Niedersachsische State Theater and Orch. in Hannover. He became music director of the Milwaukee Sym. Orch. in 1997. In 1998 he made his debut in Carnegie Hall as a guest conductor with the Philadelphia Orch. He has also appeared as a guest conductor with many other orchs. and Opéra companies, and at various festivals on both sides of the Atlantic. In addition to the standard repertoire, Delfs has ventured forth to program scores by many contemporary composers.

—Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire