Joana Mallwitz Steps Down as Conductor of Nuremberg State Philharmonic 

The German conductor will not extend her contract as general music director after the end of the 2022/23 season

This comes after an announcement earlier this month about her initial five-month maternity leave. Her latest decision is about a change of focus, primarily to her family. 

General Music Director at the Nuremberg State Theater since 2018, she and her husband, German tenor Simon Bode, are expecting their first child this October.

"After 18 years in permanent positions at opera houses, half of them as general music director, it is time for me to change focus," she said. "That my family situation will change in autumn, plays a role, which we are very happy about, but the basic requirements will be different for me," she explained.

"The original plan to accompany the State Philharmonic until the opening of the new Nuremberg concert hall can unfortunately no longer be fulfilled due to the developments of the past year," she continued.

The hall’s construction is postponed, but she is "happy that there is at least a clear commitment from the city and the country to the opera house building project."

"She unanimously inspired the Nuremberg State Philharmonic and the audience in every concert and every evening at the opera," said State director Jens-Daniel Herzog. "Her interpretations of great classics and her instinct for musical theater have set standards."

Her last project before her maternity leave will be conducting Mozart's opera "Così fan tutte" at the Salzburg Festival in August. She will then return for her final season in January 2022.