Berliner Philharmoniker's Karajan Academy Announces Siemens Conductors Scholarship Recipients

Conductors Oscar Jockel and Christian Blex will participate in the two-year program

As part of the Siemens Conductors Scholarship, young conductors Jockel and Blex will spend time working as the assistant to Kirill Petrenko, the Berlin Philharmonic's orchestra's Chief Conductor. In addition to this, each conductor will present a portrait concert with the Karajan Academy orchestra.

Now in its second iteration, the scholarship is highly selective. Over 200 conductors applied, and ten were shortlisted. These ten visited in Berlin for a three-day selection process, which involved rehearsing excerpts from pieces by Debussy, Beethoven, and Tchaikovsky with the Karajan Academy Orchestra in front of an audience. In the end, it was decided that two conductors would share the scholarship, rather than a single applicant.

"Talented young people need knowledgeable partners who believe in them," said Stephan Frucht, the Artistic Director of the Siemens Arts Program. "That’s why — as part of the Siemens Arts Program — we’re working with great care on new formats that build bridges between emerging talent and the international cultural institutions we’re partnering with. Our partnership with the Karajan Academy enables us to help young artists to further develop their skills on one of the best stages."