Christian Thielemann was born in Berlin in 1959 and began what Karajan called the classical conductor's “hard but indispensable slog" through numerous small theatres at an early age. After 20 years of operatic experience, Thielemann, who also has been guest conductor-in-chief at the Teatro Comunale of Bologna, started concentrating on a few selected orchestras and opera houses such as Covent Garden in London, the Metropolitan in New York and the Vienna State Opera. 1991 Conducts Wagner's Lohengrin with great success at the Deutsche Oper, Berlin 1991/92 US début conducting a new production of Strauss's Elektra in San Francisco, soon followed by engagements at the Metropolitan, including Strauss's Rosenkavalier and, later, Arabella with Kiri Te Kanawa (released by Deutsche Grammophon on VHS and DVD) In the years that follow he regularly conducts leading American orchestras (Philadelphia, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Minnesota) as well as appearing with such major international orchestras as the Berliner Philharmoniker and Israel Philharmonic Orchestra 1993 After engagements at all the major Italian opera houses, named Principal Guest Conductor of the Teatro Comunale of Bologna 1995/96 Conducts new production of Pfitzner's Palestrina at the Deutsche Oper; becomes exclusive artist of Deutsche Grammophon - first releases: Preludes and Overtures by Pfitzner and Strauss with the Orchestra of the Deutsche Oper, and Beethoven Symphonies Nos. 5 & 7 with the Philharmonia 1996/97 Conducts Wagner's Die Meistersinger at the Deutsche Oper as well as a new production of Palestrina at Covent Garden, having appeared there during earlier seasons with Janáèek's Jenufa and Strauss's Elektra 1997/98 Becomes General Music Director of the Deutsche Oper; at that house since then he has conducted Mozart's Figaro, all of Wagner's later operas including the complete Ring, Strauss's Elektra, Die Frau ohne Schatten, and Daphne, Schoenberg's Moses und Aron and Henze's Der Prinz von Homburg; concert performances of Strauss's Die ägyptische Helena at Covent Garden; débuts with the Royal Concertgebouw and Leipzig Gewandhaus orchestras; Thielemann's CD releases in this period include Schumann's Second Symphony, the beginning of a complete cycle with the Philharmonia (coupled with the Manfred Overture and Konzertstück for 4 horns), and Wagner Overtures and Preludes with the Philadelphia Orchestra 1999 Recordings of Orff's Carmina burana with the Orchestra and Chorus of the Deutsche Oper and Schumann's Symphony No. 3 coupled with Overture, Scherzo & Finale and Genoveva Overture (Echo Award, 2000) 2000 Bayreuth Festival début conducting Wagner's Die Meistersinger; Wiener Philharmoniker début conducting works by Strauss (Alpine Symphony and Rosenkavalier Suite), recorded live by Deutsche Grammophon (Edison Award, 2002); CD release of Schoenberg's Pelleas und Melisande and Wagner's Siegfried Idyll with the Orchestra of the Deutsche Oper 2001 Conducts Parsifal at Bayreuth and a new production of Die Frau ohne Schatten at the Metropolitan; directs the Orchestra of the Deutsche Oper at a Wagner Festival held in Paris's Théâtre des Champs-Élysées; CD releases include the Wiener Philharmoniker Strauss recordings and Schumann's Symphonies Nos. 1 & 4, completing the cycle with the Philharmonia 2002 Salzburg Easter Festival début conducting the Berliner Philharmoniker; Salzburg Festival début conducting the Wiener Philharmoniker; conducts a new production of Wagner's Tannhäuser at the Bayreuth Festival; concerts with the Wiener Philharmoniker in Vienna's Musikverein and in London, Paris, and Dortmund; conducts the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra in a Strauss-Pfitzner-Wagner programme and in Beethoven's Ninth Symphony; release of his CD Evening Star with Thomas Quasthoff and the Orchestra of the Deutsche Oper (CD Compact, Barcelona, 2003) 2003 Conducts a new production of Wagner's Tristan at the Vienna State Opera; returns to Bayreuth to conduct performances of Tannhäuser; tour to Japan with the Wiener Philharmoniker; releases this year include his recording with the Wiener Philharmoniker of Strauss's Ein Heldenleben and the suite from Die Frau ohne Schatten (Choc du Monde de la Musique, 2003) 2004 Becomes principal conductor of the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra; this year he conducts Die Frau ohne Schatten, Die tote Stadt, La fanciulla del West, Parsifal at the Deutsche Oper, Tristan at the Vienna State Opera, Capriccio at the Paris Opéra and Tannhäuser at the Bayreuth Festival; CD release this year: Tristan und Isolde, recorded live at the Vienna State Opera 2006 Plans for conducting a new production of Wagner's Ring at the Bayreuth Festival