Christian Schmitt
About this Artist
Since his debuts with the Berlin Philharmonic under Sir Simon Rattle and at the Salzburg Festival, Christian Schmitt has become one of the world’s most sought-after organists. In the 2021/22 season, he was “Artist in Focus” of the Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich, inaugurating the new organ at the Tonhalle with conductor Paavo Järvi.
Schmitt recently debuted at Walt Disney Concert Hall presented by the Los Angeles Philharmonic, performed with the Staatskapelle Berlin conducted by Daniel Barenboim, and recorded Hindemith’s Chamber Music No. 7 with conductor Christoph Eschenbach. This season, he debuts with the Philadelphia Orchestra with conductor Paavo Järvi and returns to Los Angeles for a recital at Walt Disney Concert Hall.
Schmitt has performed as a recitalist at the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, Konzerthaus Berlin, Wiener Musikverein, Gewandhaus Leipzig, and Maison Symphonique Montréal. He has performed under conductors including Philippe Herreweghe, Jakub Hrůša, Marek Janowski, Daniel Barenboim, Paavo Järvi, and Manfred Honeck. A frequent recital collaborator, Schmitt has performed with Magdalena Kožená, Matthias Höfs, Thomas Hampson, and Matthias Goerne.
For Deutsche Grammophon, Schmitt recorded two albums for the project Bach 333: Die neue Gesamtausgabe and an album of works for voice and organ with mezzo-soprano Magdalena Kožená. In 2013, he was awarded an ECHO Klassik for his recording of Widor’s organ symphonies, Opp. 42.3 and 69.
Schmitt is on the faculty at Codarts University Rotterdam. He studied organ in Paris, in Boston, and in Saarbrücken and has been a member of the jury for numerous competitions. Schmitt is the principal organist of the Bamberger Symphoniker.
Christian Schmitt is represented worldwide by Tanja Dorn at Dorn Music.