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ANNA HANDLER
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ABOUT

"What is most captivating is the expressiveness of her playing and her impressive presence, which makes her the self-evident center of the action; she lives "her" music. "Her" is intentionally chosen because she makes the music entirely her own. She never delivers, but brings to life. Stylistically she is absolutely confident; her personal cadenza in the Mozart concerto and her sovereign conducting from the piano clearly prove that." 
(Valérie Groß, Deutsche Grammophon - jury's verdict on the occasion of the awarding of the Maria-Ladenburger-Förderpreis 2020)

Anna Handler is a German-Colombian conductor and pianist who was raised in Munich. She is a Dudamel Fellow with the Los Angeles Philharmonic for the 2023–2024 season.

From September 2024, Handler begins  - appointed by Andris Nelsons - her tenure as Assistant Conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, making her BSO debut at Tanglewood in 2025.

Handler graduated from the Juilliard School in May 2023 where she received mentorship from David Robertson and was the proud recipient of the Juilliard Kovner Fellowship for outstanding students of classical music, which she was the first conductor ever to receive.

Following her debut at the Salzburg Festival in 2022 as musical director of the Káťa Kabanová opera camp, Handler was immediately re-engaged to conduct new productions of L'enfant et les sortilèges (2023) and Die Kluge (2024). Further 2023–2024 highlights include her debuts with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Minnesota Orchestra and North Carolina Symphony; BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, Grazer Philharmoniker and Münchner Rundfunkorchester. 
The 2022/2023 season saw her debut with Deutsches Symphonie Orchester Berlin, Sinfonieorchester Liechtenstein, OFUNAM Orchestra in Mexico, and Mecklenburgische Staatskapelle Schwerin.

Handler has assisted distinguished conductors such as Kirill Petrenko, including conducting the banda for the concert opera production Mazeppa with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra; Daniel Harding (Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks); Barbara Hannigan (LSO, Munich Philharmonic); as well as Manfred Honeck and Simone Young. At the Bayerische Staatsoper, she assisted Oksana Lyniv and took over the musical direction of the production Eve and Adam, premiered as part of the 2019 Munich Opera Festival.

As founder and director of the ensemble ENIGMA CLASSICA, Handler has collaborated with notable soloists including Arabella Steinbacher, Daniel Müller-Schott and Sabine Meyer. Together with her team at Enigma Classica, Handler presented an interdisciplinary project on music education, featuring real-time generative video animation at the Young Artist Festival Bayreuth in August 2022. She was awarded the Maria Ladenburger Förderpreis in cooperation with WDR, the Cusanuswerk Foundation and Deutsche Grammophon. She has also received the Rising Star Award from the European Cultural Foundation Europamusicale.

Handler studied piano and conducting at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater München, the Accademia Pianistica di Imola, the Folkwang University of the Arts and the Hochschule für Musik „Franz Liszt“ Weimar. Her mentors include Ingrid Fliter, Pavel Gililov and Henri Sigfridsson, Ekhart Wycik, Johannes Schlaefli and Piero Lombardi Iglesias.

Conducting from the piano as well as performing chambermusic with violinist Laura Handler is an important part of her musical identity.



"Anyone who wants to observe what is possible in terms of direct communication between an orchestra and its conductor must hear the Ensemble Enigma Classica under its founder Anna Handler. Every encouraging smile, every sharp look, every stimulating gesture leads to an immediately audible consequence in the excellent young musicians, who pay attention to their conductor as if hypnotized. But the Munich native, not yet in her mid-twenties, is infinitely more than a motivational coach: her conducting technique is impeccable."  Michael Bastian Weiß, Abendzeitung München, 21.20.2020 

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Calendar

January 29, 30, 31, 2024
Symphony Concert Mecklenburgisches Staatsorchester Schwerin, Germany
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Mecklenburgische Staatskapelle Schwerin 
Jeroen Berwaerts, trumpet 

MOZART Symphony No. 38 ‘Prague’ 
Nina ŠENK New work for Trumpet and Orchestra (German Premiere) 
HUMMEL Trumpet Concerto 
DVORAK Symphony No. 5
February 2, 2024
Young Mozart Orchestra and Friends Salzburg, Austria, Mozarteum 5 pm
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Young Mozart Orchestra
Anna Handler (conductor)

Das Jugend Jazz Orchester
Stefan Konzett (conductor)

Barock'nRoll (dancers)
Natalie Gal, Bernhard Girardi (masters of dance)

Mozart/R.Summerer
The Magic Flute KV620
Three Movements for Big Band & Quintet

Mozart + Tanz
Kontretanz KV 609 Nr.3

Antonio Salieri + Tanz
from Concertino da camera for flute and strings  G Major: Menuett

Helmut Schmidinger
477a. Begegnungszonen für kleines Orchester (UA)

Mozart
Sinfonie g-minor KV 183

February 9, 2024
Charity: New moon - new faces - new taste Bayerisch Gmain, Germany, Klosterhof 8 pm
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Laura Handler, violin
Anna Handler, piano
Alexandra Kahrer, cello

E. Grieg, Sonata No.3 c-moll, op.45

P. Tschaikowsky, Piano Trio a-moll op.50
February 27, 28, 2024
Los Angeles Philharmonic Debut Symphonie for schools
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 Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra

 TCHAIKOVSKY Swan Lake

Experience how Tchaikovsky's timeless composition inspires a revamped story for a modern audience by featering selected pieces from the classic suite and, of corse, a dancing accompaniment.


March 9, 2024
Swan Lake: Reimagined - Symphonies for Youth 11:00 am Los Angeles, Walt Disney Concert Hall
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Los Angeles Philharmonic

TCHAIKOVSKY Swan Lake (excerpts)
TCHAIKOVSKY Sleep Beauty (excerpt)
TCHAIKOVSKY 1812 Overture excerpt

About this Performance
Experience how Tchaikovsky's timeless composition inspires a revamped story for a modern audience by featuring selected pieces from the classic suite and, of course, a dancing accompaniment.
These 45-minute interactive Los Angeles Philharmonic concerts introduce young audiences to symphonic music. Before each concert, families are invited to participate in hands-on arts workshops.
This concert is recommended for children ages 5 to 11.




March 23, 2024
Swan Lake: Reimagined - Symphonies for Youth 11:00 am Los Angeles, Walt Disney Concert Hall
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Los Angeles Philharmonic

TCHAIKOVSKY Swan Lake (excerpts)
TCHAIKOVSKY Sleep Beauty (excerpt)
TCHAIKOVSKY 1812 Overture excerpt

About this Performance
Experience how Tchaikovsky's timeless composition inspires a revamped story for a modern audience by featuring selected pieces from the classic suite and, of course, a dancing accompaniment.
These 45-minute interactive Los Angeles Philharmonic concerts introduce young audiences to symphonic music. Before each concert, families are invited to participate in hands-on arts workshops.
This concert is recommended for children ages 5 to 11.

March 31, 2024
Zakhar Bron Festival Orchester - David Garrett Interlaken, Switzerland. Congress Kursaal 5 pm
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Zakhar Bron Festival Orchestra
David Garrett, violin
Olga Scheps, piano

DVORAK Symphonie No. 9, Largo
SCHUBERT Symphonie No.7 "Unfinished"
GARRETT/HAYWOOD "Open World"  
GLUCK Melody from "Orpheus and Eurydike"
KREISLER Liebesleid, Tempo di Minuetto
April 3-7, 2024
here, there, everywehere: Minnesota Orchestra Young People's Concert Minneapolis, MN. Orchestra Hall
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Minnesota Orchestra

SHOSTAKOVICH Festive Overture
HABIBI Jeder Baum spricht 
VAUGHAN WILLIAMS Sinfonia antartica (excerpt) 
James P JOHNSON Harlem Symphony (excerpts) 
Gabriela Lena FRANK Leyendas, II & VI. 
BRAHMS Symphony No. 1, movement 4 (excerpt) 
June 6, 2024
Philharmonic Evening Graz Graz, Austria
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Grazer Philharmoniker 

MOZART Serenade No. 13 in G-Dur, KV 525 Eine kleine Nachtmusik
 
STRAVINSKY Concerto for chamber orchestra in E-flat Major Dumbarton Oaks
  
HAYDN Symphony No. 8 in G-Dur, Hob. I.8 Le Soir
June 14, 15, 2024
The world of string instruments Munich, Germany, Prinzregententheater
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june 14, 10 and 12 a.m. School concerts
june 15,  2 and 4 p.m. Family concerts 
each lasting approx. 60 minutes

Speaker: Pia Amofa-Antwi  
Soloists from the Munich Radio Orchestra: Stanko Madić (violin), Norbert Merkl (viola), Franҫois Thirault (cello), Alexandre Vay (cello) Ingo Nawra (double bass) 

Conductor and harpsichord: Anna Handler

Excerpts from, among others:
W.A. Mozart (1756-1791), “Eine kleine Nachtmusik” in C major KV 525 
J.S. Bach (1685-1750), Concerto for Harpsichord and Strings No. 5, F minor 
G.F. Handel (1685-1759), Concerto for harp and orchestra in B flat major 
P.I. Tchaikovsky (1840-1893), Symphony No. IV in F minor 
N. Paganini (1782-1840), Variations on “Il Carnevale di Venezia”
M. Bruch (1838-1920), Romance in F major op.85 for viola and orchestra:
A. Vivaldi (1678-1741), Concerto for 2 cellos in G minor RV 531


June 21, 2024
North Carolina Symphony Debut: Swan Lake 8:00 pm Koka Booth Amphitheatre, Cary
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North Carolina Symphony
Anna Handler, conductor

Brahms: Tragic Overture
Haydn: Symphony No. 49 “The Passion”
Tchaikovsky: Selections from Swan Lake
July 26 - August 25, 2024
Carl Orff, The Wise Girl Opera for children, Salzburg Festival
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JUNG & JEDE*R New production
Regie: Giulia Giammona
Conducter: Anna Handler

Carl Orff, The Wise
The Story of the King and the Wise Woman
Opera for Children
‘Oh, if only I had believed my daughter!’ laments the father. After all, she had warned him about the king’s suspiciousness… When her father discovers a valuable object, the king accuses him of keeping a part of it for himself. The father is promptly thrown in prison. Hearing his cries of woe, the king summons the man’s daughter. He poses three riddles, which she solves without difficulty. Impressed by her cleverness, he takes her as his wife. But when she exposes another error of judge­ment by the king, he casts her out and allows her to take only ‘what her heart holds most dear’ with her… 
Nine performers and an orchestra of 15 musicians will explore pressing questions of justice and injustice, power and powerlessness for a young audience. And the biggest question of all: what does the wise daughter take with her?
Saturday, September 14
Juilliard Fall Festival 7:30pm, Peter Jay Sharp Theater NYC
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Juilliard Orientation (Orchestra)
Charles Ives, The Unanswered Question

The New: Celebrating Charles Ives and American Experimentalism in Music, Dance, and  Drama 


October 3, 2024
Into the light I & II Casals Forum, Taunus, Germany
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18:15: Into the light I
hr symphony orchestra
Anna Handler Conductor
Guido Sant'Anna Violin

PROGRAMME
Max Bruch (1838-1920)
Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor op. 26

Franz Schubert (1797-1828)
Symphony No. 7 in B minor D 759
"Unfinished"


20:30 : Into the light II
hr-Symphony Orchestra
Anna Handler Conductor
Jaemin Han Violoncello

PROGRAMME
Bedrich Smetana (1824-1884)
Vltava (The Vltava). Symphonic poem from the cycle "My Fatherland"

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)
Variations on a Rococo Theme for violoncello and orchestra op. 33

Zoltán Kodály (1882-1967)
Dances from Galánta
December 19, 20, 22, 2024
Philharmonic Orchestra Neubrandenburg Neubrandenburg, Güstrow, Neustrelitz, Germany
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19.12., 7:30 p.m. Konzertkirche Neubrandenburg
20.12. 7:30 p.m. Güstrow, Ernst Barlach Theater
22.12. 6 p.m. Neustrelitz, Landestheater Neustrelitz

Neubrandenburger Philharmonie
Alexandra Segal, piano
SAINT-SAËNS Piano Concerto No. 2
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TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No. 1 “Winter Daydreams”

February 14, 15, 2025
Rhode Island Philharmonic Providence, RI. Veterans Memorial Auditorium
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Awadagin Pratt, piano 

ADAMS Chairman Dances (Foxtrot for Orchestra) 

MONTGOMERY Rounds

RACHMANINOFF Symphonic Dances 

March 30, 2025
Portland Symphony Orchestra Mozart meets Klezmer Portland, ME. Merrill Auditorium 
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David Krakauer, clarinet
MOZART Clarinet Concerto K 622
KRAKAUER/TAGG "Mozart on the Juden Gasse" from "The Fretless Clarinet; Concerto for Klezmer Clarinet and Orchestra"
KRAKAUER Synagogue Wail for Unaccompanied clarinet 
TRADITIONAL Arr. KRAKAUER Der Heyser Bulgar 
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BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 7 in A-Dur

May 14, 2025
Bremer Philharmoniker  Bremen, Germany. Die Glocke 
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Bastian Spier, horn
MENDELSSOHN Overture to A Midsummer Night’s Dream, op. 21
MENDELSSOHN Incidental Music from A Midsummer Night’s Dream, op. 61
R. STRAUSS Horn Concerto No. 1
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MOZART Symphony No. 29

May 18, 2025
Bremer Philharmoniker Dortmund, Germany, Konzerthaus
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Bastian Spier, horn
MENDELSSOHN Overture to A Midsummer Night’s Dream, op. 21
MENDELSSOHN Incidental Music from A Midsummer Night’s Dream, op. 61
R. STRAUSS Horn Concerto No. 1
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MOZART Symphony No. 29

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