“A born musician…” (Chaya Czernowin | Composer in residence Salzburger Festspiele, Lucerne Festival)
“He has a clear sense of what an orchestra needs. Moreover, he has stylistic sensitivity…” (Signe Madsen, Concert Master | Odense Symphony)
“I must recommend this young conductor.” (Thomas Søndergård , Music Director | Royal Scottish National Orchestra)
“As conductor the ideal partner for any opera production team, orchestra and ensemble…” (Elisabeth Stöppler, Stage Director | Deutsche Oper am Rhein, Düsseldorf)
Award-winning Austrian conductor and composer Kai Johannes Polzhofer made recently his debut with the Danish National Orchestra, is invited to conduct Tonkünstler Orchester Niederösterreich at Grafenegg Festival, and recently stepped in at Deutsche Oper am Rhein for most of the vocal and orchestral preparation of a then celebrated international production of Shostakovich’s “Lady McBeth at Mzensk”.
In the past he has been engaged as assistant conductor by Bavarian State Opera Munich (G.F.Haas: “Koma”), worked with soloists of the Mariinsky Theatre Petersburg, the Düsseldorfer Symphoniker, Symphony Orchestra Århus, Symphony Orchestra Aalborg, Symphony Orchestra Odense, Copenhagen Philharmonic, the Symphony Orchestra of the Rimsky-Korsakov St. Petersburg Opera as well soloists, chorus and orchestra of Opera Gothenburg. He served as assistant conductor with Wiener Symphoniker and the Danish Radio Orchestra among others. He is a well received Guest Conductor in New Musik, has been invited by a.o. international Ensemble gageego! (Contemporary Music Ensemble of Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra) and Solistenensemble Kaleidoskop Berlin, and worked with other leading ensembles of the contemporary scene such as Grammy Award-winning Parker Quartet, Ensemble Recherche, Elision Ensemble, Ensemble Mosaik, and JACK Quartet.
Kai Johannes Polzhofer initiated and co-founded several cultural initiatives such as with Karen Cueva the Du Bois Orchestra at Harvard (fighting racism, class- and gender discrimination through classical music), and forma Leipzig (New Music and Literature), and received as conductor and composer various national and international awards (Special Conducting Award given by Daniele Gatti at Chigiana), as well several national and private stipends (full stipend Harvard University). His music is published by Edition Gravis (Berlin).
He graduated in Operatic- and Symphonic Conducting from Saint Petersburg State Conservatory Rimsky-Korsakov (with A. V. Alekseev), as well from National Soloist Class in Orchestra Conducting (with Michael Schønwandt). Further degrees in composition and philosophy. He was selected by Paavo and Neeme Järvi, Jorma Panula, as well Daniele Gatti for their Masterclasses.
In addition to his work as conductor and composer, he currently serves with Danish recorder soloist Clara Guldberg Ravn as Artistic Director of the Austrian-Danish Klar!Festival and publishes as author on topics of music and philosophy and holds a PhD from Harvard University.
He speaks and works in German, Russian, English, Italian and Danish.
“He stands out not only for his deep musicality, but for his extraordinary empathy and understanding of the singers.” (Izabela Matula, Soprano, Guest Soloist (Ekaterina Izmailova) in Lady McBeth of Mzensk | Deutsche Oper am Rhein, Düsseldorf)
“Here it is Kai Johannes Polzhofer who leads the ensemble with undulating and dreamy melody lines, and the emotionality of Puccini’s operatic expression is given free rein.” (Göteborgs Posten)
“The future of New Music is in best hands.” (BR Klassik | Bavarian Broadcast)
“A bright exponent of a new generation of conductors.” (Aleksander V. Alexeev †, Conductor | Honored Artist of the RSFSR)
“Kai Johannes Polzhofer lives and breathes music. […] One of the most interesting students, I have ever encountered in the conducting class.” (Michael Schønwandt, Conductor)