Elias’s Schedule for April Chief Conductor Inauguration Concert <Tickets are now available>
Saturday, April 19 from 5pm and Sunday, April 20 from 1pm at Kitara 【668th Subscription Concert】 Mahler Symphony No. 2 “Resurrection”
Thursday, April 27 from 7pm at hitaru 【Subscription hitaru Concert Series No. 21】 Beethoven Symphony No. 7, etc.
News
- Mahler Symphony No. 1 “Titan” conducted by Elias Grandy on November 30, 2024 at Sapporo Concert Hall Kitara is now on streaming at TV MAN UNION CHANNEL.
- Join us for the celebration “Hurray!! To Elias Project “ Click here to join! We hope you would visit us and Elias often! For more details ⇒ “Hurray!! To Elias“
- Count Down for Elias Chief Conductor inauguration! Watch out for simultaneous TOP PAGE. Check Instagram!
- Press Conference ⇒ BRAVO Online “Announcement of 2025-2026 Season Program”
- Nov. 1, 2024 【Immediate Release】 2025-2026 Program Announcement!!
- Send your message or questions to Elias from here.
Scheduled Concerts with Elias
- 【Thank you for coming】 Nov. 31 and Dec. 1, 2024 655th Subscription Concert at Sapporo Concert Hall Kitara Mahler Symphony No. 1 “Titan”
- April 19 and 20, 2025 668th Subscription Concert at Sapporo Concert Hall Kitara Mahler Symphony No. 2 “Resurrection” with Mari Eriksmoen, soprano; Catriona Morison, mezzo-soprano, and Sapporo Symphony Chorus.
- April 24, 2025 Subscription hitaruConcert Serie No. 21 at Sapporo Cultural Arts Theater hitaru Brahms Piano Concert No. 1 with Kazune Shimizu, piano; Dai Fujikura Entwine; and Beethoven Symphony No. 7
- June 28 and 29, 2025 670th Subscription Concert at Sapporo Concert Hall Kitara R. Strauss Don Quixote, op.35 with Julian Stckel, cello and Takehiro Konoe, viola; and Ravel Daphnis et Chloé Suites No.1 & 2 - 150th anniversary of his birth
- November 8, 2025 Masterpiece Concert To Vienna with Elias at Sapporo Concert Hall Kitara Beethoven Symphony No. 6 “Pastoral” and waltz and works by J. Strauss II, with Saki Nakae, soprano.
- January 31 and February 1, 2026 674th Subscription Concert at Sapporo Concert Hall Kitara Toru Takemitsu A Way a Lone II Mahler Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen - Songs of a Wayfarer, with Benjamin Appl, baritone, and R. Strauss Ein Heldenleben-A Hero’s Life op.40
- February 5, 2026 Sakkyo Tokyo Concert 2026 at Suntory Hall - same program as 674th Subscription
Profile
Elias Grandy’s international profile is rapidly rising by conducting first-class orchestras and opera productions in Europe, America and Asia. Hailed by the press as “passionate and full of temperament”, “vigorous and equally precise” and praised for his ability to “grasp psychological subtleties under a microscope”, the German-Japanese conductor gave recently highly successful debuts with renowned orchestras such as the Vienna Symphony, Osaka Philharmonic and Minnesota Orchestra.
In 23/24 the energetic, charismatic conductor will return to Frankfurt Radio Symphony, National Youth Orchestra of Germany and Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Tokyo and give debuts with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo, Norwegian Radio Orchestra, Antwerp Symphony Orchestra, Orquesta Filarmonica de Buenos Aires and the Deutsche Radio Philharmonie Saarbrücken. Furthermore, he will take the Robert-Schumann-Philharmonie Chemnitz on a tour to Poland as their “conductor in residence” for 23/24 and appear frequently with the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra with whom he enjoys a close relationship for many years.
Elias is equally devoted as an opera conductor, feeling passionately about theatre and musically shaping the narrative of each drama. In recent years he has conducted highly acclaimed productions of Elektra and Carmen at Minnesota Opera, Werther and A Village Romeo and Juliet at Frankfurt Opera, Un ballo in maschera at Aalto-Theatre Essen, Carmen at Opera Nikikai Tokyo and Rusalka at Portland Opera. Future engagements include the Semperoper Dresden and reinvitations to Frankfurt Opera and Opera Nikikai Tokyo.
Last season he finished his tenure as music director of Heidelberg’s Opera and Philharmonic orchestra where he significantly raised the caliber of both, providing thoughtful, innovative programming and burnishing the city’s fast-growing reputation as a vital musical hub. Enthusiastic about making music more accessible, he introduced several highly popular concert formats for young people and an educated audience. His final season programme included Prokofjev’s Love for Three Oranges, Bruckner’s Symphony No.7 and a series of unknown works by female composers.
Born of German-Japanese parents Elias studied cello and conducting in Munich, Basel, and Berlin. He worked as a cellist in orchestras such as the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and the Komische Oper Berlin. He started his conducting career as Resident Conductor at Staatstheater Darmstadt and shortly after won the prestigious Sir Georg Solti International Conducting Competition. In 2015 he was named music director in Heidelberg, a position he held until 2023.
Grandy was a member of the Orchestra Academy (cello) in 2004, and of the Conducting Academy in 2012. In 2024 he makes his return to PMF as Guest Conductor.
He will be Chief Conductor of the Sapporo Symphony Orchestra, starting in April 2025.
Question and Answer
Is there anything that you wish to experience in Japan? If you have any plan or wish to go for sightseeing or Japanese culture that you hope to participate, please let us know. I am interested to know what makes you interested. I am looking forward for your November 30 and December 1, and I will be travelling to Sapporo!!!
If I ever have the time I would love to see Japanese Theatre Kabuki and Noh. Also to explore the rich and colourful nature of Japan would be wonderful. Maybe one day… I am so glad you are coming to Sapporo for our next concerts. Hopefully one visit of many to follow!
Congratulation for your inauguration of Chief Conductor. I love your performance, which is so emotional and at the same time, very delicate. I wish to know how you became conductor from the cellist. How did you spend when you were a student? I am looking forward for your future contribution and music making.
This is an interesting question. I always had the wish to become a conductor from a young age. Studying cello gave me the opportunity to play a lot of chamber music, especially string quartet where you learn a lot about the craft of making music together. At the same time I studied extensively music theory to deepen my general knowledge about composition and instrumentation. Besides the actual conducting studies that I did later this was a fundamental foundation for my understanding of music.
Is there any routine procedure that you do before the concert? Would you mind telling us how you spend your time before the concert
Each program is different, each music demands a different mood and mindset. So it also differs what is good to do before the concert. But usually I don’t really eat much before concerts, try to get some rest and at some point I change my clothes… :-)
Which of Mahler works that you like best?
The honest answer is: always the one that I am conducting. But that goes for composers as well. I think we have to respect each composer and each work as if it is the only one that exists. Because in the moment of music-making it is the only one that exists.
Which of flowers that you like best?
Roses, white with pink, are amongst my favourites. But even more I like to give flowers to my beloved wife ❤️
What are the charming points of Sakkyo?
Sakkyo is an orchestra that wonderfully reflects the beauty and culture of Hokkaido. It has a gentle but strong personality and the orchestra members are full of love for the music.
Sports you like?
I like to do or I like to watch? I like to watch soccer. I like to conduct as a sport.
Season you like?
Spring, definitely spring because all the energy comes back to us.
Country and/or city you like?
Japan, Sapporo obviously, what else can I say?
Favorite composer?
Favorite composer is usually the composer that I am conducting right now. So it is quite a lot of them.
Food or cuisine you like?
Obviously Japanese food, Sushi, Sashimi, Miso ramen!
How do you feel about Kitara?
It certainly is the beauty and the acoustics but also the surrounding and most importantly the wonderfully engaged audience!
Why did you want to be a conductor?
This is difficult to say. But definitely I love music and I love working with people. I think this combination of people and music is just wonderful and it all comes together and we play concert and the audience also becomes a part of us, who are on the stage. To have all that, I became a conductor.
Your memorable concert, which remains in your heart- what was the music and with which orchestra?
There are plenty and hopefully many more. But very special were certainly the first concerts after the pandemic when musicians and audiences alike felt so strongly what they missed.
What music do you want to perform with Sakkyo?
For the repertoire we have a strong focus on Mahler in mind. I believe Mahler’s music always talks about the personal journey through life. With all its struggles but also love and happiness.
Ｍessage
The season 2025, we are going to start with Mahler Symphony No. 2, which I think it is a wonderful start for all of us, to have so many people on stage, to have so many people in the audience, and to just celebrate this music by Gustav Mahler. We will focus on Mahler more throughout the first season and also throughout other seasons because I believe Gustav Mahler is more than fitting for our time. Gustav Mahler embraces in his music all these different things we face these days, problems or challenges, and put it into emotions that we can relate to, loneliness, but also happiness, the tragedies of life that we encounter and how to deal with them, how to be good and loving to each other and how to have desire for things that we cannot have and many things. It is like a universe itself each symphony. So, I am very, very happy that this is going to be a big part of our works here from 2025 on.
You have a wonderful orchestra here, you have an incredible concert hall, and I think everything is laid out to have a great concert here. And all I can say is, I promise I will do I whatever I can, my power and whatever my talent allows me to do, to make each concert a very, very special occasion. My message to you is “better not miss it.“
Message from FANS
- Mo. Grandy, welome back! I am looking forward very much in listening to the concert with you conducting. I will certainly be in Kitara for your Mahler.
- I am looking forward very much the future of the Sakkyo with you. What I expect most is the unity of the concert with audience. I am hoping the unity of Elias-san and Sakkyo, Kitara and audience would lead Sakkyo to its future. Please do challenge and make us exciting. And please do not forget activities based on the local community.
- Hello, Elias-san. I look forward seeing you on the podium jumping, with much energy and passion. As Sakkyo has its chorus, I would be happy if you could introduce Mahler No. 2 and Lieders in your program while you are with us.
- I was much moved when you appeared in the subscription concert 2 years ago (?) presenting Wagner and Debussy, which were really dynamic. I wanted to hear your music again, and then, there was an announcemet that you would be the Chief Conductor! I liked a couteous and delicate music by Mo. Bamert, but now I am so excited on what sorts of music our new chief conductor brings. From your style, it would be Mahler. Even if it takes 10 years, I really hope we have Mahler Cycle done. And I would also like to listen to Brahms, which I think is the favorite of Mo. Luisi, the mentor while you were in the PMF. I assume you would be in Sapporo three to four times next year? Looking forward very much.
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