Matthias Fletzberger - Dirigent | Pianist

Fletzberger was born in Vienna. His musical talent was discovered at the age of 5, when he was accepted as a student of the University of Music in Vienna. Aged 12 he won the first prize at the Austrian Youth Competition “Jugend musiziert”. On the grounds of his outstanding pianistic abilities he was accepted to the concert class of Hans Graf in the same year, where he obtained his diploma with special distinction.

At the same time he completed his musical education in Vienna (Bruno Seidlhofer), in Russia (Tatjana Nikolajewa), France (Jacques Rouvier, Nicole Henriot-Schweitzer) and America (Leon Fleisher). He also worked regularly with outstanding artists such as Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Renata Tebaldi, Issac Stern, Yehudi Menuhin, Maurice Gendron Siegfried Palm and Gérard Souzay.

Fletzberger won top prizes at international piano competitions, including the “Busoni” (Bolzano 1984 - Silver Medal), “Rubin­stein” (Tel Aviv 1986 - Gold Medal), and “Bösendorfer” (Vienna 1988 - First Prize) competitions. As a result, his career took him to all continents: as recitalist, as soloist with major orchestras (Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestre de Bordeaux, Orquestra National d’Espagna, etc.), collaborating with conductors like Jesus Lopez Cobos, Ferdinand Leitner, Carl Melles or Jan Krenz and as chamber music pianist and accomnist of renowned singers.

By recommendation of Rolf Liebermann – the legendary Intendant of the opera houses in Hamburg and Paris – and with the support of Ferdinand Leitner und Carl Melles Fletzberger started a second career as an opera conductor. Within a short period of time he acquired a huge repertoire as assistant conductor in Salzburg (”Figaro“ with Peter Ustinov), at the Prague State Opera, as musical director of opera productions at the Vienna Festival (“The Magic Flute”, 1991; “La belle Héléne”, 1993) and as conductor at the Stadttheater St. Gallen (Switzerland) until 2000.

Following several years as general manager of the Sofiensäle - Vienna’s oldest and largest venue for cultural events – where he presented a broadly varied programme of opera, musical and theatre presentations, as well as galas, incentives, parties and clubbing events he decided to return to the classical music scene.

Since 2009 Fletzberger started his comeback as a classical pianist with solo-recitals and as chambermusic-partner of the renowed austrian/russian violinist Lidia Baich, as well as a conductor in concert and opera.

In 2011 the renowed label Deutsche Grammophon released the Album „Violin in Motion“ by Lidia Baich and Fletzberger. Plans for 2012 include a Solo-CD with works by Berg, Ravel, Stravinsky and Rachmaninow as well as a recording of Beethovens „Hammerklavier“-Sonata.