First woman to conduct a Salzburg opera series

Few in the classical music world are currently receiving the attention that conductor Joana Mallwitz enjoys — and even fewer female conductors in this male-dominated field. The 34-year-old German is the star attraction at the Salzburg Festival, arguably the world's most important classical music festival, where she made her debut in early August. She's become a darling in the wider classical music scene, too.

Musicians who perform in Salzburg are typically at the top of the field, and Mallwitz is no exception. This year marks the first time a woman has ever conducted an entire opera series at the illustrious festival which is celebrating its 100-year anniversary this year.

The talented conductor's debut was one of the most beloved and oft-interpreted operas in the repertory: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Così fan tutte. The young conductor is reaching for the stars and enjoying a constant stream of success in a fast-paced career in which she has often been the first or the youngest or, at times, both.

Early success

Born in Hildesheim, central Germany, in 1986, Mallwitz studied piano and conducting at the Hanover University of Music. At the beginning of the 2014/2015 season, she was appointed Europe's youngest General Music Director at the Erfurt Theater. Just a few years later, she became General Music Director in Nuremberg, Germany. She made her debut with Richard Wagner's Lohengrin and Sergei Prokofiev's War and Peace, two heavyweights of opera repertoire which garnered her nationwide acclaim. In the 2018/2019 season, she made her debut at the Bavarian State Opera with Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin. That same year, she was voted Conductor of the Year in a survey of critics by Germany's premiere opera magazine Opernwelt. Few conductors could expect such success in their entire careers, let alone in their early 30s.

Protective measures at Salzburg Festival 

Most music festivals, classical or otherwise, have been forced to cancel this year, but not the Salzburg Festival. Its organizers were determined to not let the pandemic axe the festival's 100th anniversary edition. Thanks to a rigorous health and protection plan aiming to keep audiences and cast members safe during a pandemic, the show has been able to go on.

Mallwitz had initially been scheduled to conduct Mozart's Magic Flute in the 2020 festival, but rearranging the program was part of the festivals' COVID-19 protection plan. In order to have fewer performers on stage, organizers instead asked her to conduct the chamber opera, Così fan tutte, which has only a few soloists and no choir. In just three weeks, Mallwitz and director Christoph Loy brought the production to life. "It's a huge gift to be allowed to do this here this year," Mallwitz told DW, adding that in a time where few are allowed to gather and perform, making music and rehearsing Mozart in Salzburg is certainly a fortunate experience.

Mallwitz said she is pleased with the formal contact ban and isolation of the performers as stipulated by the Salzburg Festival's coronavirus safety measures. "That suits me very well; it's great fun," she says.   

A successful premiere

The fun she has while conducting the opera has caught the attention of critics and is apparent in the orchestra's sound. "A joy, a wonder, a celebration" praised German paper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung after the premiere of Così on August 2. Conducting the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, she presented a vibrant, yet intimate interpretation of Mozart's romantic comedy. With broad, elegant movements she kept the music flowing with ease. Thanks to the young and talented ensemble of singers, the performance took wing. It has even been compared to that of seasoned conductors, like Nikolaus Harnoncourt.

But Mallwitz has little interest in hearing such high praise. She is far too busy conducting. Outside the festival house, the conductor is considered serious, concentrated and collected for her young age.

A pandemic pause

Despite her admiration for the Salzburg coronavirus protection strategy, Mallwitz remains skeptical that transferring such measures would work in her own opera house in Nuremberg. What works for a short festival summer in Salzburg is difficult and costly to do year-round in a large theater. The regular COVID-19 tests that Salzburg Festival organizers demand of the performers cannot be financed throughout the year by most opera houses.

Joana Mallwitz is still young, but her critical view of the reality of the classical music business reveals a great deal of seriousness. It's a sad fact that the classical music industry has long ignored women in management roles, particularly in conducting positions. The fact that the Salzburg Festival boasts that Mallwitz is the first woman in the history of the festival to conduct an entire opera series only provokes a brief smile from the conductor: "You wonder about all the different places where you are still the first as a woman today," she comments. Yet, she focuses her attention on what it's all about: music. As a trailblazer in the field, the world will likely be hearing from Mallwitz for long time to come.