The conductor team at Deutsche Oper Berlin
For the first time, Deutsche Oper Berlin has a team of three conductors instead of one general musical director: Maxime Pascal, Michele Spotti and Titus Engel come from very different artistic backgrounds and complement each other perfectly.
Maxime Pascal, …
Principal Guest Conductor, born in Nantes in 1985, is a passionate explorer of sound and one of the most interesting conductors of his generation. In 2008, he drew international attention when he founded his Ensemble Le Balcon, an innovative collective that quickly became a key fixture in the New Music scene. Since his career began, says Pascal, he has been fascinated by opera as a cohesive experience of sound and imagery. Stockhausen’s work holds a special place in his artistic works. Pascal is a proven expert on the LICHT, die sieben Tage der Woche cycle, which he has already produced in Paris and Lille with his Ensemble Le Balcon, with the exception of Mittwoch; he will complete the cycle with his premiere of Mittwoch at Deutsche Oper Berlin. In addition to contemporary music, Pascal also enjoys conducting operas from the 19th and 20th centuries, including Carmen at Theater Basel, The Greek Passion at the Salzburger Festspiele, Pelléas et Mélisande at Berliner Staatsoper and – in April 2026 – at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan, as well as Die Dreigroschenoper at the Festival in Aix-en-Provence. As a regular guest for operas and concerts at the Salzburger Festspiele, he will conduct a new production of Olivier Messiaen’s monumental opera Saint François d’Assise there in the summer of 2026. His work as Principal Guest Conductor of the Deutsche Oper Berlin Orchestra, a «jewel of European musical life,» is, says Pascal, «a milestone on my artistic journey.»
Michele Spotti, …
Principal Guest Conductor, born in Milan in 1993, is a young but incredibly in-demand representative of Italian-Romantic tradition, making him an ideal counterpart to Maxime Pascal. He is the Musical Director at Opéra de Marseille and has worked at other institutions like Opéra de Paris, Teatro San Carlo in Naples, Teatro dell’Opera in Rome, Semperoper Dresden and Wiener Staatsoper. His debut at the Metropolitan Opera in New York is planned for May 2026. Spotti’s recording of Offenbach’s Barbe-Bleu at Opéra de Lyon, released by Opus Arte, was recently awarded the «Diapason D’Or.» «Berlin has always been a city of artistic discovery and musical dialogue,» says Spotti. «I am honoured to have this amazing opportunity to bring the wealth of the Italian repertoire and more to the vibrant stage of Deutsche Oper Berlin as a Principal Guest Conductor.»
Titus Engel, …
Berliner by choice, born in Zurich in 1975, rounds out the conductor team at Deutsche Oper Berlin as Conductor-in-Residence. In this role, he is also involved in projects by Deutsche Oper Unlimited. A survey of critics by the magazine Opernwelt deemed him «Conductor of the Year» in 2020, and he won the 2025 Swiss Music Prize for his artistic achievements. Renowned for his expertise in historical performance practice as well as his conducting of Classical-Romantic and contemporary compositions, this multifaceted artist regularly performs key works of opera literature as well as in the Konzertsaal. Engel is a preferred sparring partner for numerous composers of opera debuts and unusual projects, from Oper Frankfurt and the Ruhrtriennale to Geneva. He views musical theatre as a place of artistic experimentation where social utopias can flourish. Melding various music and art worlds and making Classical music accessible to all social strata are of particular importance to Engel. Among his opera productions in recent years are Hans Werner Henze’s Floß der Medusa (Komische Oper Berlin) at Tempelhof Airport, as well as a production of Olivier Messiaen’s Saint François d’Assise that integrated the urban space in Stuttgart where it was staged. Opernwelt deemed the latter «the most unusual opera experience of 2023.» Engel most recently led the debuts of Hèctor Parra’s Justice (Geneva), Michael Wertmüller’s Echo 72. Israel in München (Hannover) and Olga Neuwirth’s Monster’s Paradise (Hamburg). Since 2023, he has served as Principal Conductor at Basel Sinfonietta. About his appointment, Engel says, «I am very excited to realise and help produce innovative operatic projects and concerts at Deutsche Oper Berlin, and to build the bridge between this grand and honourable institution with the vibrant life of the Berlin scene.»