Johannes Stert - Foto (c) Kathrin Klein

Johannes Stert - Foto (c) Kathrin Klein

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Since 2019, Johannes Stert has been the artistic director and conductor of "Westfalen Winds" as a guest. He succeeds Ulrich Schmidt, who shaped "Westfalen Winds" for 12 years and who in turn followed his founding conductor Franz Schulte-Huermann. 

From 2008 to 2013, Johannes Stert followed numerous invitations to the Teatro Nacional de Sao Carlos Lisbon, the Royal Danish Opera in Copenhagen, the Korean National Opera Seoul, the Staatstheater Oldenburg and the Opera in Magdeburg.

During his long-time engagement as 1st Kapellmeister of the Cologne Opera from 1995 to 2005 Johannes Stert acquired a comprehensive repertoire. In addition to symphony concerts with the Gürzenich Orchestra, numerous premieres and performances of the classical operatic repertoire, he also directed productions of contemporary works. In particular, he drew attention to himself in Cologne through his interpretations of all Mozart operas.

Following his successful debut, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Principal Guest Conductor at the Graz Opera House, committed Johannes Stert to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's "Finta Giardiniera" (2001-2006). Among the highlights are his performances of Wagner's "Parsifal" directed by David Alden and the production of Ligeti's "Le Grand Macabre" directed by Barrie Kosky.

The confrontation with contemporary music has a high priority for Johannes Stert. He has conducted world premieres at various festivals, including: a. the festival "dei due Mondi" in Spoleto, Italy, the Cologne Triennale or the Wiener Festwochen. Concerts and projects have brought him together with well-known composers of contemporary music, such as: With Hans Werner Henze (Montepulciano), Detlev Glanert (Hamburg State Opera), Manfred Trojahn (Cologne Opera), Karl Heinz Stockhausen (cycle "Light", Amsterdam).

Since 2004 WDR has been engaged in Johannes Stert in Cologne for concerts, radio recordings and CD recordings with the WDR radio orchestras. He led there u. a. the CD-first recording of the two piano concertos by Friedrich von Flotow and the CD-first recording of the opera "Merlin" by Karl Goldmark.

He is also passionate about symphonic brass music. He conducts the Freiburg Wind Band, the Bläserphilharmonie Süd-West and the Orchesterverein Hilgen. As a composer and arranger, Johannes Stert has been able to provide important impulses, especially in the literature for top brass bands.

His original compositions are celebrated concert pieces at national and international competitions, such as: For example, his currently most famous work "Bachseits", a fantasy in three movements for a large wind band from the year 2011. It is based on motifs of Johann Sebastian Bach's "Ciaccona in D minor" for solo violin.