Die Neue Züricher Zeitung calls him “a shining star of the new German conductor generation.” A truly modern and multi-faceted artist, Christian Schumann has rapidly established a reputation as both an opera and symphonic conductor, as well as a leading international force in the contemporary and film music world.
The 2021/22 season will see Christian Schumann perform with several important orchestras, including his debut at Bamberger Symphoniker, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Orchestre Symphonique de Mulhouse and Malta Philharmonic. Next season, Schumann will return to permorm with Oslo Philharmonic (where he is regularly re-invited), Silesian Philharmonic and NDR Radiophilharmonie. He recently made highly successful debuts with Musikkollegium Winterthur, Danish National Symphony Orchestra, Brussels Philharmonic and Warsaw Philharmonic where he will return next season. Other recent successes include Helsinki Philarmonic and Orquestra Sinfónica do Porto Casa da Música where he feature to critical acclaim the iconic J’accuse film by Abel Gance last season.
Christian Schumann has appeared in a number of important opera productions across Europe. He has conducted the Berlin premiere’s of Peter Eötvös’s opera Angels in America, excelling also in a critically-acclaimed new production of Peter Eötvös’ Three Sisters at Teatro Colón. He has also performed Peter Eötvös’ operas Die Tragödie des Teufels and Lady Sarashina at Bayerische Staatsoper and Teatr Wielki in Warsaw respectively. At Grand Theatre Avignon he conducted a double-bill featuring Bartók’s Bluebeard´s Castle and Eötvös’ Senza Sangue, previously enjoying a long-term relationship with the Theater St. Gallen, where he held the Kapellmeister position between 2006-2009.
Schumann’s special affinity for film music has led him to conduct major projects often to arena audiences, such as at the Krakow Film Music Festival in summer 2017 (Neverending Story) as well as four open concerts with Het Gelders Orkest in the Netherlands, and four major recent major tours across Germany and Austria featuring such classics as Star Wars, The Dark Knight, Harry Potter, James Bond, The Jungle Book and Ratatouille. In 2021/22 Schumann will return to Aarhus Symphony Orchestra performing the paradigmantic Star Wars - The Empire Strikes Back.
Schumann first came to international attention when he won First Prize at the International Conducting Competition in Budapest. He then went on to secure the International Allianz Academy for Conductors Scholarship, which led to several important debuts including appearances with the London Philharmonic Orchestra and the Philharmonia Orchestra at the Royal Festival Hall. Since then, he has worked with a number of important orchestras including Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra (where he appeared with Steven Isserlis), MDR Sinfonieorchester, Staatskapelle Weimar, Hungarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre Philharmonique de Nice and Turku Philharmonic. New music groups included Ensemble Intercontemporain, Remix Ensemble Porto and Österreichisches Ensemble für Neue Musik.
Christian Schumann has conducted many recordings for film and video games including the original scores by Philippe Schoeller (J’accuse with SWR Sinfonieorchester), Pascal Schumacher (L’enigme with WDR Funkhausorchester Köln) and Johan Söderqvist (Battlefield 1 & Battlefield Expansion with Philharmonia Orchestra and the LSO respectively).
Schumann received a Master of Arts Degree at the Franz Liszt University Weimar majoring conducting and composition (2007). His professors were Nicolás Pasquet and Michael Obst.