The young Austrian conductor David Holzinger has made a name for himself through his versatility and command of a broad opera and concert repertoire. Since the 2022/23 season, he has been Principal Guest Conductor at the Brandenburg Theater and with the Brandenburg Symphony Orchestra. There he has successfully conducted revivals of “The Magic Flute” and led operettas such as Jacques Offenbach’s “Ba-Ta-Clan” and Ralph Benatzky’s “The White Horse Inn” (“Im Weißen Rössl”), as well as numerous concerts. During the 2023/24 season, in addition to concerts and revivals, he was also responsible for the musical preparation of the new production of Richard Strauss’ “Elektra.” He is currently assisting Principal Conductor Andreas Spering in productions of Mozart’s “The Marriage of Figaro,” Verdi’s “La Traviata,” and J. Strauss’ “Die Fledermaus.” In December 2024, he appeared as a guest conductor with the Sichuan Philharmonic Orchestra in Chengdu, performing Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9.
A particular highlight for Holzinger was when he stepped in at short notice for Sascha Goetzel to conduct a concert with the Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra, featuring members of the Vienna Philharmonic as soloists. Shortly before that, he conducted Beethoven’s 9th Symphony with the choir and orchestra of the Rousse State Opera, where he had already conducted a production of “Gianni Schicchi” in the previous season. His commitment to contemporary music has led him to venues such as the Neue Oper Wien for Peter Eötvös’ “Angels in America” and the Junge Oper Rhein-Main for Moritz Eggert’s “Caliban.” Furthermore, he is the founder and musical director of the EXEDRA Ensemble, with which he performed at the opening festival of the Salzburg Festival in 2017.
At the Tyrolean Festival Erl, he was engaged for over four seasons as Kapellmeister and assistant to Principal Conductor Gustav Kuhn. In this role, he led the musical preparation for Rossini’s “Guillaume Tell” and oversaw other productions such as “Semiramide,” “Ermione,” and “La Traviata.” Holzinger also gained international recognition through a month-long tour of China with the Amsterdam Chamber Orchestra. Due to its great success, he was invited back to assist Principal Conductor Peter Santa and conduct works including Gustav Mahler’s “The Song of the Earth” (“Das Lied von der Erde”).
He has gained significant artistic insights from masterclasses with renowned conductors such as Alexander Polishchuk, Sir Mark Elder, Jorma Panula, Clark Rundell, Nicolás Pasquet, Mark Stringer, Peter Gülke, Martin Sieghart, Julius Kalmar, and Christian Kluttig. He has worked with orchestras including the Sichuan Philharmonic Orchestra, Sofia Philharmonic, Brandenburg Symphony Orchestra, Moravian Philharmonic Olomouc, Salzburg Orchestra Soloists, Rousse Philharmonic Orchestra, Sibiu Philharmonic Orchestra, Manchester Camerata, Vilnius State Symphony Orchestra, and the Salzburg Chamber Soloists.
David Holzinger began his musical career at the Conservatory of Music and Dramatic Arts in Vienna, studying orchestral conducting and violin with Maximilian Cencic. He continued his conducting studies at the Carl Maria von Weber University of Music in Dresden with Christian Kluttig and Steffen Leißner. There, he worked with ensembles such as the Plauen-Zwickau Philharmonic Orchestra, the Elbland Philharmonic Saxony, and the Landeskapelle Eisenach. He made his debut as the musical director of an opera production in the spring of 2015 with Scott Joplin’s “Treemonisha” at the Staatsschauspiel Dresden. Holzinger’s musical expertise and his ability to interpret great works with brilliance and dedication make him a sought-after conductor on the international stage.
