Christan Kunert began his musical career as a bassoonist and initially won several international competitions: Prize winner at the "International ARD Competition" in the category bassoon solo with distinction "Audience Award" (2008), Culture Prize of the Bavarian State (2007), Eduard Söring Prize of the City of Hamburg (2006), prizewinner at the “Competition of the Musical Academy” in Würzburg (2004), prizewinner at the Theodor Rogler chamber music competition and also at the international wind competition “Pacem in terris” in Bayreuth (2003). In his eleven-year-long function as solo bassoonist of the Hamburger Staatsoper and during temporary engagements with several renowned orchestras he gained some inspiring experience for his career as a conductor with outstanding maestros such as Gerd Albrecht, Daniel Barenboim, Christoph Eschenbach, Bernhard Klee, Nicola Luisotti, Kurt Masur, Zubin Mehta, Kent Nagano, Kirill Petrenko, Donald Runnicles and Simone Young.

As a conductor, Christian Kunert benefits from his experience as an orchestra musician, as this other point of view offers him unique insights into the effect of the orchestra as well as the potential and requirements of the musicians. This is especially true for the psychological aspects during rehearsals, working on adequate means of expression, prising enthusiasm out of the musicians, the balance between virtuosity and precision, the educational differentiation in music, the alignment and character design, fathoming the extremes, dynamic nuances, timbre and sound combinations, passing on the joy of playing music, musical dramaturgy and transitions and the ideal balance between the stage and the orchestra pit. In the operatic repertoire, he puts emphasis on works by Giuseppe Verdi and Richard Strauss.

Since 2017, Christian Kunert is the artistic director of the Harvestehuder Sinfonieorchester in Hamburg. The last performances with this orchestra included Beethoven‘s Fifth Symphony, Scriabin‘s Second Symphony, Prokoviev‘s First Violin Concerto, Hindemith‘s Symphonic Metamorphosis, Richard Strauss‘ Orchestral Songs, Bruckner‘s Fourth Symphony and in the summer of 2018 Stravinsky‘s Le sacre du printemps. He recently conducted the Essen Philharmonic Orchestra, the Wuppertal Philharmonic Orchestra and the Glinka band in St. Petersburg performing works by Strauss, Reger, Schubert and Hindemith.

In China, Christian Kunert will take the position of chief conductor of the HeFei City Symphony Orchestras from 2022 and in Germany the position of chief conductor of the Hamburger Kammerorchester from summer 2023.

www.christiankunert.eu