Born in Überlingen am Bodensee, Klaus Simon is the founder and artistic director of the Holst-Sinfonietta and the Opera Factory Freiburg (formerly the Young Opera Company), with both groups winning a reputation for their performance of music of the 20th century, in addition to wider achievements.

His vast repertoire as a pianist and conductor ranges from Mozart to Widmann, and includes classical, contemporary and minimalist works, and British and American music of the 20th and 21st centuries. Since 1999 he has made various recordings and broadcasts as a pianist and conductor, including Vivier’s opera Kopernikus, which won the German Record Critics’ Award in 2016 and an International Classical Music Award in 2017.

As a pianist his particular focus has been on song. At the heart of his work as a Lieder accompanist are the German late Romantic and early modern composers. He has recorded the complete songs of Erwin Schulhoff and from 2019 to 2020 recorded the complete songs of Franco Alfano for Deutschlandfunk Kultur. As an arranger, Simon has prepared various works for chamber ensemble, and is particularly known for his versions of Mahler’s symphonies, which are performed worldwide.

For more information, visit www.klaussimon.com.