German conductor Joana Mallwitz, currently music director of the Konzerthausorchester Berlin, is quickly becoming one of the most compelling voices on today’s podiums. After her recent debut with the Berlin Philharmonic, she’s now leading Le nozze di Figaro at the Metropolitan Opera — the latest step in a career marked by both musical insight and a clear, grounded presence.
Her Met debut has been warmly received. Writing for The New York Times , Zachary Woolfe praised her “calm, stylish command” and the “light and silky” sound she drew from the orchestra. In a performance that could easily veer toward chaos, Mallwitz showed control without rigidity — avoiding, as the review notes, “the classic young conductor trap” of overstatement.
In a short video released by the Met, Mallwitz discusses Figaro with a mix of clarity, warmth, and deep musical understanding. She explores the overture’s fast and delicate dynamics, the dramatic contrasts in Figaro’s music, Susanna’s forward momentum, and the expressive depth Mozart gives to the Countess — all with the kind of attention that comes from long familiarity with the score. It’s a brief but illuminating glimpse into what makes this opera, and Mallwitz’s approach to it, so compelling.
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