Matthias Pintscher

Matthias Pintscher is the Music Director of the Ensemble intercontemporain, entering his third season in 2015/16. Equally accomplished as conductor and composer, Pintscher sees his two main spheres of activity as entirely complementary; he has created significant works for the world’s leading orchestras, and his intrinsic understanding of the score from the composer’s perspective allows him to communicate on the conductor’s podium effectively.

In the 2015/16 season, Pintscher makes conducting debuts with the Berlin Philharmonic, Toronto Symphony, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and the Prague Philharmonia. He embarks on the United States tour with the Ensemble intercontemporain with concerts in Berkeley, Chapel Hill and Washington, D. C.  Beginning in 2016/17, Pintscher takes up the post as Principal Conductor of the Lucerne Festival Academy. He continues his partnerships with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra as its Artist-in-Association and with the Danish National Symphony Orchestra as Artist-in-Residence. Pintscher works regularly with leading contemporary music ensembles such as the Ensemble Modern, Klangforum Wien, Ensemble Contrechamps, Avanti! Chamber Orchestra, Remix Ensemble and the Scharoun Ensemble.

Pintscher may justly be called the most sought-after German composer of his generation and his music is championed by some of today’s finest performing artists, orchestras and conductors. His works are frequently performed by orchestras such as the Cleveland Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, The Philadelphia Orchestra, Berlin Philharmonic, London Philharmonic Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra and the Orchestre de Paris.

Pintscher’s works are published by Bärenreiter-Verlag. Recordings can be found on KAIROS, EMI, ECM Records, Teldec, WERGO and Winter & Winter. Since September 2014, Pintscher joined the composition faculty at The Juilliard School.