Jun Märkl has long been known as a highly respected interpreter of the core Germanic repertoire from both the symphonic and operatic traditions, and more recently for his refined and idiomatic explorations of the French impressionists. His long-standing relationships at the state operas of Vienna, Berlin, Munich and Semperoper Dresden have in recent years been complemented by his Music Directorships of the Orchestre National de Lyon (2005-11) and MDR Symphony Orchestra Leipzig (to 2012). For the 14/15 and 15/16 seasons he is Principal Conductor to the Basque National Orchestra.

In 2014/15 Märkl returns to the Orchestre National de Lyon and also to the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic, Oslo Philharmonic, Helsinki Philharmonic, Tonkuenstler Vienna and Hamburgische Staatsorchester.

He has conducted many times at NHK Symphony Tokyo, the Mito Chamber Orchestra, and recently accepted the position of Invited Professor at the Kunitachi College of Music in Tokyo. In January 2015 he conducted the Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra for the first time.

Märkl made his Royal Opera House debut with Götterdämmerung in 1996 and at the Metropolitan Opera with Il Trovatore in 1998, and has conducted complete Ring Cycles at the Deutsche Oper Berlin and at the New National Theatre in Tokyo. Opera projects in 2014-15 include Fidelio in Hamburg and in Cincinatti, Rosenkavalier in Budapest, and Idomeneo in Tokyo.

Born in Munich, Märkl studied violin, piano and conducting at the Musikhochschule in Hannover, going on to study with Sergiu Celibidache and with Gustav Meier. In 1986 he won the conducting competition of the Deutsche Musikrat and a year later won a scholarship from the Boston Symphony Orchestra to study at Tanglewood with Leonard Bernstein and Seiji Ozawa. Soon afterwards he had a string of appointments in European opera houses followed by his first music directorships at the Staatstheater in Saarbrücken (1991-94) and at the Mannheim Nationaltheater (1994-2000).

Märkl appeared at PMF as Guest Conductor in 2005 and 2008, and as Principal Conductor in 2013. This is his fourth appearance at PMF.

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