Director Neue Oper Wien // Musical director
Walter Kobéra began studying violin at Vienna City Conservatory at the age of seven. From 1978 to 2002 he was a member of the Tonkünstler Orchestra of Lower Austria, where his activities also included work as a conductor and a musical assistant to Isaac Karabtchevsky and Fabio Luisi. In 1986 he founded his amadeus ensemble-wien, which repertoire ranges from baroque sacred music to Viennese Classicism and on to symphonic music and opera – particularly that of the 20th and 21st century.
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His constant care and attention in the performance of contemporary and twentieth century music theatre led him to the renowned productions of Alban Bergs “Lulu”, Benjamin Brittens “Billy Budd” – the startingpoint for the great Britten-boom in Vienna lasting until today – Helmut Lachenmanns “Das Mädchen mit den Schwefelhölzern” und Gerhard Schedls “Triptychon”. Recently he conducted a new production of Strauss’ “Ariadne auf Naxos” in Bratislava, Prague and Dublin.
His artistic work with KlangBogen Festival in Vienna and the Vienna Festival goes back many years. Since 2005 Walter Kobéra and Neue Oper Wien are permanent guest of the International Chamber Opera Festival in Zwolle/NL. With the world première of Richard Dünsers “Radek” in 2006, which was highly acclaimed by public and press, Neue Oper Wien started a co-operation with the famous Bregenz Festival. This summer, the succesfull co-operation will be continued by the production of the world première of Isidora Zebeljans “A marathon family”.
Walter Kobéra is artistic director of the concert cycle „Klangerlebnis Stephansdom“ starting in 2008. He has led numerous concerts with Austrian and European symphony orchestras such as the Bruckner Orchestra Linz, the Tonkünstler Orchestra of Lower Austria, the Bratislava RSO, the Baltic Philharmonic and the ensemble „die reihe“. Alongside numerous concerts and opera performances, he also has CD and broadcast recordings to his credit, with programmes including motets and arias by Mozart and Salieri, Brahms’ “Ein deutsches Requiem”, Verdi’s “Macbeth”, Wolfram Wagner’s “Endlich Schluss”, Thomas Pernes’ “Zauberflöte 06” and Richard Dünser’s “Radek”.
Walter Kobéra lectures on modern music at the University of Vienna.
www.kobera.at
