Dirk Kaftan is widely regarded as one of the most influential conductors of his generation in Germany. Through innovative programmes, numerous world premieres and visionary opera projects, he has shaped the musical landscape for more than two decades. Born in 1971, he impresses not only with his masterful interpretations of the classical repertoire but also with his bold, experimental concepts.

Since 2017, Kaftan has served as General Music Director of the Beethoven Orchestra Bonn and the Bonn Opera. Deeply rooted in the region, he pursues a singular vision: to make music both accessible and tangible. His work embodies artistic excellence, fostering dialogue with the urban community while collaborating with international soloists to bring musical dreams to life.

As a sought-after guest conductor, he regularly appears with world-renowned orchestras and opera houses. Recent engagements include performances and recordings with the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, the KBS Symphony Orchestra Seoul, the Nuremberg State Theatre, the Baden State Theatre Karlsruhe, the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra, the NDR Radio Philharmonic Orchestra and Ensemble Modern. He is also a welcome presence at leading opera houses in Copenhagen, Hamburg and Berlin, where his production of Wagner’s "Der fliegende Holländer" at the Komische Oper Berlin received widespread acclaim.

Kaftan’s artistic reach extends from grand opera stages to chamber music, avant-garde works and light music—always blending a spirit of discovery with an awareness of tradition. In Beethoven’s home city, he immerses himself in the composer’s oeuvre, drawing on the historical repertoire of the Bonn Court Orchestra to fuse tradition with innovation and develop a modern, dialogue-oriented approach to music.

His outstanding achievements have earned him numerous awards, including the 2020 OPUS Klassik for his recording of Beethoven’s "Egmont" and the 2021 European Culture Prize alongside the Beethoven Orchestra Bonn.

The 2025/2026 season promises an exciting array of musical highlights and creative collaborations with guests such as soprano Chen Reiss, actor Matthias Brandt, Bonn-born pianist Fabian Müller and television presenter Bettina Böttinger. Key works on the programme include Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 2, the "Resurrection Symphony", Hector Berlioz’s "Symphonie fantastique" and Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with its final chorus based on Schiller’s ode "Ode to Joy". In addition, Kaftan will take on the musical direction of Richard Strauss's "Die Frau ohne Schatten", Giuseppe Verdi's “Otello” and Giacomo Puccini's "Madama Butterfly" at the Bonn Opera.

Characterised by artistic excellence, inspiring collaboration and the joy of musical discovery, Dirk Kaftan’s modern approach and extraordinary versatility continue to set new standards.

Projects:

Beethoven Pure

Concerts With A Workshop Character

A concert series appealing to music experts and newbies alike: “Beethoven Pure” introduces you to Beethoven's symphonies 1 to 8 in full length with accompanying talks. We present interesting background information concerning the work and the genius behind it, become acquainted with different musical ideas in talk format, and finally get to listen to the respective work purely and in one piece. Beethoven is brought to you in a chamber orchestra arrangement during a musical workshop and the audience can look over Ludwig’s shoulder at work.

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Hofkapelle

Beethoven's Childhood And Youth Repertoire

Ludwig van Beethoven spent the first twenty-one years of his life in Bonn. During this time, he was in close contact with the ensemble “Hofkapelle”: First through his father and later as a musician working there himself. The repertoire the musicians played together most likely left a considerable mark on him. Works from the „typical concerts of the court orchestra” were found in archives in Modena and Vienna and initially performed at the “Redoute” in Bad Godesberg, the place where the aged Haydn and the juvenile Beethoven first met. Some of the works that were played by the ensemble will be released on CD by the label Dabringhaus & Grimm at the end of 2021.

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Beethoven Lounges

A Musical Talk Show For The Beethoven Anniversary

For the Beethoven anniversary year (250^th birthday in 2020), Dirk Kaftan invited guests from near and far and brought them together. At the Pantheon, the Beethoven Lounges welcomed the key players of the anniversary year from music and society. It was a meeting place with monthly updates on the festivities in honor of Beethoven’s opus. The performers discussed past events and looked forward to upcoming activities in the city of Bonn and beyond. They talked about Beethoven and looked at him with eyes sparkling with joy. Even though Beethoven’s birthday dates back many years, his values and his works are all the more current and significant up to the present day.

Ludwig van Beethoven spent the first twenty-one years of his life in Bonn. During this time, he was in close contact with the ensemble “Hofkapelle”: First through his father and later as a musician working there himself. The repertoire the musicians played together most likely left a considerable mark on him. Works from the „typical concerts of the court orchestra” were found in archives in Modena and Vienna and initially performed at the “Redoute” in Bad Godesberg, the place where the aged Haydn and the juvenile Beethoven first met. Some of the works that were played by the ensemble will be released on CD by the label Dabringhaus & Grimm at the end of 2021.

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Beethoven Moves!

Beethoven's Fifth Symphony As You Have Never Experienced It Before

With acrobatic break dancing, touching texts, exciting images and irrepressible energy, young people from Bonn and Medellín rediscovered Beethoven's masterpiece during the Beethoven Moves! project together with the Beethoven Orchestra Bonn. Already in April 2019, members of the orchestra, general music director Dirk Kaftan, director Anselm Dalferth, music educators and project director Rita Baus traveled for a week to Medellín in Colombia. There, they made the acquaintance of young people who are being accompanied back into a life in society in a facility run by the Salesians of Don Bosco.

For these young people, in addition to their daily work and education, there was also a cultural programme: Moves! Together with these young people, our musicians rediscovered Beethoven's Fifth Symphony: What does it tell me? What does it tell you? And from this, their own attitude to the piece emerged, their own statement was formulated.

 A story about how it is worthwhile to stand up for one's goals and dreams.

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Dialogue of different cultures

Concert for the Augsburg Peace Festival July 2013
A thrilling expedition through western and oriental culture together with the renowned turkish soloist and composer Kemal Dinc. First performance of the concert-piece for Baglama and orchestra.

„Alle Menschen werden Brüder“ 2010
On July 10,  2010 a unique concert took place on the Rathausplatz(open air) of Augsburg.
350 Singers of different cultures performed this concert for peace together with the Augsburg Philharmonic. The initial idea for this concert, was based on the last movement of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, which until today represents the longing for peace, tolerance and understanding in the jewish, muslim and christian culture.  Great focus was put on the first performance of Salaam – peace symphony by Enjott Schneider.

Solisten: Birgit Stolzenburg da Biasio, Komalé Akakpo (Hackbrett), Sally du Randt (Sopran), Stephanie Hampl (Mezzsopran), Seung-Hyun Kim (Tenor), Stephen Owen (Bariton)

Philharmonisches Orchester Augsburg mit: Sängerinnen und Sänger von Kosaken Kraj e. V., Junges Vokalensemble Schwaben, Chor des Gymnasiums St. Stephan, Chor der Sing- und Musikschule Mozartstadt Augsburg, Philharmonischer Chor Augsburg, Kirchenchor Herz-Jesu Augsburg, Türkischer Chor Sultan-i Yegah, Koreanischer Chor Augsburg, Chor des Deutsch-Türkischen Kültürvereins, Opernchor des Theaters Augsburg.
Pera Ensemble (Leitung: Mehmet Yesilcay)
Hamburg Klezmer Band (Leitung: Mark Kovnatskiy)

KARDES TÜRKÜLER & Augsburger Philharmoniker
Lieder der Migration(songs of migration) – Göç Türküleri 1.11.2011
ENCOUNTER of different musical traditions. The western view on oriental culture, represented by Rimsky-Korsakows Scheherazade in confrontation with „real“ turkish, armenian and kurdish music. Also an extraordinary exciting experiment with new musical forms/arrangements for orchestra and the renowned turkish folk-ensemble Kardes Türküler.

Education Programmes:

School concerts:
Introducted, moderated and chaired school-concerts „round the world with music“. This first, emotional contact with classical music reached about 20000 children in Augsburg within 3 years.

Concert Introductions with live orchestra:
Before the philharmonic concerts this unique offer to the public has become very popular giving a personal insight in the pieces to be performed.

Children and family concerts:
Numerous concerts for young people in a variety of different shapes have been created througout the years...

Special Concerts:

Dialogue of different cultures

Concert for the Augsburg Peace Festival July 2013
A thrilling expedition through western and oriental culture together with the renowned turkish soloist and composer Kemal Dinc. First performance of the concert-piece for Baglama and orchestra.

„Alle Menschen werden Brüder“ 2010
On July 10,  2010 a unique concert took place on the Rathausplatz(open air) of Augsburg.
350 Singers of different cultures performed this concert for peace together with the Augsburg Philharmonic. The initial idea for this concert, was based on the last movement of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, which until today represents the longing for peace, tolerance and understanding in the jewish, muslim and christian culture.  Great focus was put on the first performance of Salaam – peace symphony by Enjott Schneider.

Solisten: Birgit Stolzenburg da Biasio, Komalé Akakpo (Hackbrett), Sally du Randt (Sopran), Stephanie Hampl (Mezzsopran), Seung-Hyun Kim (Tenor), Stephen Owen (Bariton)

Philharmonisches Orchester Augsburg mit: Sängerinnen und Sänger von Kosaken Kraj e. V., Junges Vokalensemble Schwaben, Chor des Gymnasiums St. Stephan, Chor der Sing- und Musikschule Mozartstadt Augsburg, Philharmonischer Chor Augsburg, Kirchenchor Herz-Jesu Augsburg, Türkischer Chor Sultan-i Yegah, Koreanischer Chor Augsburg, Chor des Deutsch-Türkischen Kültürvereins, Opernchor des Theaters Augsburg.
Pera Ensemble (Leitung: Mehmet Yesilcay)
Hamburg Klezmer Band (Leitung: Mark Kovnatskiy)

KARDES TÜRKÜLER & Augsburger Philharmoniker
Lieder der Migration(songs of migration) – Göç Türküleri 1.11.2011
ENCOUNTER of different musical traditions. The western view on oriental culture, represented by Rimsky-Korsakows Scheherazade in confrontation with „real“ turkish, armenian and kurdish music. Also an extraordinary exciting experiment with new musical forms/arrangements for orchestra and the renowned turkish folk-ensemble Kardes Türküler.

Education Programmes:

School concerts:
Introducted, moderated and chaired school-concerts „round the world with music“. This first, emotional contact with classical music reached about 20000 children in Augsburg within 3 years.

Concert Introductions with live orchestra:
Before the philharmonic concerts this unique offer to the public has become very popular giving a personal insight in the pieces to be performed.

Children and family concerts:
Numerous concerts for young people in a variety of different shapes have been created througout the years...