The Staatskapelle Dresden has announced that Jörg Widmann will serve simultaneously as Capell-Compositeur and Capell-Virtuos during the 2026/27 season, marking the first time a single artist holds both positions with the orchestra.
The dual role combines the orchestra’s traditional composer-in-residence title (Capell-Compositeur) with the designation Capell-Virtuos, usually given to prominent instrumental soloists working closely with the ensemble. Widmann, who is active as a composer, clarinettist and conductor, will appear with the orchestra in several capacities during the season.
His residency will open on 20 September 2026 with a concert at the Kulturpalast Dresden, where Widmann will make his conducting debut with the orchestra. The programme will include his own works — among them Danse macabre and the Fantasy for Solo Clarinet — alongside Felix Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 5 “Reformation” and a Mendelssohn sonata arranged by Widmann.
Further events during the residency will include a portrait concert with musicians from the orchestra’s academy and a masterclass in Hellerau scheduled for 13 November 2026, as well as chamber music programmes devoted to Widmann’s works.
In January 2027, Widmann’s orchestral piece Lied will be performed by the Staatskapelle Dresden under Daniele Gatti, paired with Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde as part of the orchestra’s symphonic season.
Additional appearances are planned for April 2027, including a chamber music matinée with Carolin Widmann and Dénes Várjon, and performances connected to the orchestra’s Beethoven cycle, where Widmann’s String Quartet No. 8 (Beethoven Study III) will be presented in a new orchestral version.
Born in Munich in 1973, Widmann is among the most frequently performed living composers. Alongside his work as a clarinettist and conductor, his compositions include the opera Babylon, the oratorio Arche, and orchestral works such as Con brio and Towards Paradise. He has previously held residencies with institutions including the Berlin Philharmonic and the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, and currently teaches composition at the Barenboim–Said Akademie in Berlin.
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