Susanne Blumenthal

Susanne Blumenthal is one of the most versatile conductors of her generation: she studied architecture, German language and literature, school music (piano/vocals) and choral conducting before finally turning to orchestral conducting. As one of 6 siblings, she financed her studies as a waitress, shop assistant, geriatric nurse, piano and singing teacher, accompanist, voice coach and choir director.

She has worked with composers such as Isabel Mundry, Manos Tsangaris, Rebecca Saunders, Helmut Lachenmann, Hans Zender, Nicolaus A. Huber, Friedrich Cerha, Johannes Kalitzke, Mark Andre, Simon Steen-Andersen, Beat Furrer, Oxana Omelchuk, Gordon Kampe, Ying Wang, Vito Zuraj and many others.

Engagements have taken her to the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, the SWR Vokalensemble, the Ensemble Modern, the Ensemble PHACE, the Ensemble Musikfabrik, the Bochum Symphony Orchestra, the Talea Ensemble New York, the Braunschweig State Theatre, the Munich Biennale, the Ruhr Piano Festival, the Schauspiel Frankfurt, the Münster Opera, etc., among others.

She also performs at numerous festivals with her own ensemble ‘MAM.manufaktur für aktuelle musik’. She is the founder and artistic director of the eos chamber orchestra, with which she explores the border area of new and improvised music/jazz.

In 2021, she was appointed Professor of New Music at the HfMT Cologne. She is a member of both the ‘Forum Dirigieren’ and ‘Podium Gegenwart’ advisory boards of the German Music Council and a board member of ON–Neue Musik Köln e.V.