Biography

Arthur Fagen is a respected figure on concert and opera podiums throughout Europe and the United States.

Since 2002-03, Maestro Fagen has been the Music Director of the Dortmund Philharmonic Orchestra and the Dortmund Opera. Following his successful concerts with the Dortmund Philharmonic at the “Grosse Festspielhaus in Salzburg,” Arthur Fagen and the Dortmund Philharmonic were invited to the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the Palais de Beaux Arts in Brussels, as well as tours in Salzburg, Beijing and Shanghai.

Recent opera productions conducted by Arthur Fagen include: Siegfried, Götterdämmerung, Ariadne auf Naxos (with the Haydn Orchestra), Ballo in Maschera at the Teatro Lirico di Cagliari, as well as two Ring Cycles. Additionally in 2006, Mr. Fagen conducted the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Nuernberg Philharmonic and Teatro Massimo Palermo.

His future plans include engagements with the Israel Symphony Orchestra, Holland Sinfonia, Buenos Aires Philharmonic, Orchestre Philharmonique du Mulhouse, Orchestra Sinfonica Siciliana, A Midsummer Night’s Dream with the Opera de Nice in 2008, Turandot with the Atlanta Opera in the fall of 2007, as well as the release of an upcoming CD of the Liszt Hungarian Rhapsodies, where he conducted the Staatskapelle Weimar (Naxos).

A former assistant of both Christoph von Dohnanyi (Frankfurt Opera) and James Levine (Metropolitan Opera), Mr. Fagen has an opera repertory of more than 60 works. He has conducted the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Metropolitan Opera, Vienna State Opera, Munich State Opera, Deutsche Staatsoper Berlin, New York City Opera, Opera Capitole de Toulouse, Bordeaux Opera, Frankfurt Opera, Staatstheater Stuttgart, New Israeli Opera, Baltimore Opera, Edmonton Opera, Spoleto Festival, Teatro Colon Buenos Aires, and many others.

On the concert podium, Mr. Fagen has appeared with internationally known orchestras including the Czech Philharmonic, Prague Spring Festival, Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, Munich Radio Orchestra, Tokyo Philharmonic, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie, Slovak Philharmonic, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra della RAI (Torino, Naples, Milano, Roma), Orchestra San Carlo, Orchestras of Naples, Genoa and Sanremo, the Bergen Philharmonic, the Dutch Radio Orchestra, among many others.

Mr. Fagen was born in New York where he began his conducting studies with Laszlo Halasz. He continued his education at Wesleyan University and the Curtis Institute under the guidance of Max Rudolf. Further studies continued both at the Salzburg Mozarteum with Hans Swarowsky. Arthur Fagen was first prizewinner of the “Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Conductors Competition” as well as prizewinner of the “Gino Marinuzzi International Conductors’ Competition” in Italy.

Arthur Fagen has recorded for BMG, Naxos and CRI, Bayerischer Rundfunk, SFB and WDR Cologne.

November 2006
Please disregard previously dated materials.

What The Critics Are Saying About Arthur Fagen’s Work…

“Nabucco – a highlight during the season: Musically speaking, this is one of the best productions of the last years. Arthur Fagen leads the Philharmonic with utmost precision. This was an unforgettable Verdi.”

Ach
May 2005

“Benjamin Britten’s ‘Four Sea Interludes’ was performed by the Dortmund Philharmonic under Arthur Fagen with the greatest expressivity.”

Von Burkhard Sauerwald, WR
February 16, 2005

“The public rejoiced over the musical interpretation of Fidelio, as conducted by Arthur Fagen.”

B. Kempen
December 2004

“The orchestra’s and Maestro Fagen’s only aim is to provide the singers with transparent sound… The orchestra sounds superb and is well worth hearing…”

Berlin Online Music Magazine
November 2003

“Arthur Fagen performs Bruckner’s 4th Symphony in Dortmund; he conducts most colorfully with many contrasts; emphasizing sound, demonstrating temperament and inspiring his musicians with precise and suggestive hand signs.”

October 2003