Sebastian Lang-Lessing
Sebastian Lang-Lessing has been Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra since 2004 and Music Director of the Orchestre Symphonique de Nancy et Lorraine since 1999. In 2002 his achievements with the Orchestre Symphonique de Nancy and Opéra de Nancy were recognised with an award from the French Government.
Born in Germany, he studied conducting at the State Conservatoire in Hamburg and piano with Detlef Kraus and Wilhelm Rau. Competition successes include first prize at the International Conducting Forum in Hamm and the Ferenc Fricsay Prize in Berlin. Sebastian Lang-Lessing was Conductor in Residence at the Deutsche Oper Berlin from 1994 until 2001.
His first performances outside Germany were of Madama Butterfly at the Opéra Bastille. Since 1999 he has worked regularly with the Opéra de Nancy et Lorraine; his appearances during the 2005-06 season included The Magic Flute and Alban Berg's Wozzeck. In 1997 he made his American debut conducting Hänsel und Gretel for Houston Grand Opera; he has also appeared at San Francisco Opera.
Sebastian Lang-Lessing is currently recording the complete symphonies of Guy Ropartz in France, and has released several CDs with the TSO for ABC Classics: a disc of Romantic overtures and a CD featuring music for piano and orchestra by Saint-Saëns and Franck with Duncan Gifford. A set of the Schumann symphonies with the TSO was be released in August 2006.
Recent opera engagements include Fidelio at Den Norske Opera in Oslo, Carmen in Houston and San Francisco during 2006, and Faust in Houston in January 2007.
Sebastian Lang-Lessing