The German conductor Gabriel Feltz died on 29 August at the age of 54 at the University Hospital in Essen. The news was confirmed by the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra, where he had served as Chief Conductor since 2017.
Born in Berlin in 1971, Feltz held leading posts across Europe during a career that embraced both opera and symphonic repertoire. He was General Music Director in Altenburg-Gera (2001–2005) and Chief Conductor of the Stuttgart Philharmonic (2004–2013). In 2013 he began his tenure as General Music Director of the Dortmund Opera and Chief Conductor of the Dortmund Philharmonic, positions he retained until 2024. The following season he took up the role of Music Director at the Kiel Theater, while continuing in Belgrade, where his contract was in effect until 2025.
Feltz was widely recognised for expanding the repertoire and raising the profile of the orchestras he led. In Serbia, he was celebrated not only as a musical leader but also as a committed advocate for the Philharmonic, learning the language and engaging with local audiences. His tenure in Belgrade included large-scale projects such as the Beethoven Marathon in 2022, in which the Belgrade and Dortmund Philharmonics performed all nine symphonies in a single day in both Dortmund and Novi Sad. More recently, he led similar Brahms, Mozart, and Rachmaninov cycles.
The Belgrade Philharmonic described his sudden death as “an immeasurable loss not only to his orchestra, but to Serbian culture as a whole.” A condolence book will be opened at the orchestra’s headquarters in Belgrade.
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