Christian Reif Appointed General Music Director Of Wuppertaler Bühnen Und Sinfonieorchester
The 36-year-old also serves as Chief Conductor of the Gävle Symphony Orchestra in Sweden and Music Director of the Lakes Area Music Festival in Minnesota.
By: Chloe Rabinowitz Jan. 30, 2026
Conductor Christian Reif will become the new General Music Director of Wuppertaler Bühnen und Sinfonieorchester, beginning his inaugural season in 2027/28, following his tenure as Music Director Designate in the 2026/27 season. The 36-year-old also serves as Chief Conductor of the Gävle Symphony Orchestra in Sweden and Music Director of the Lakes Area Music Festival in Minnesota. Reif made a lasting impression on Wuppertal audiences in June 2025, leading the opera in Don Giovanni, and in September 2025 during a high-energy guest appearance conducting the Wuppertal Symphony Orchestra. Following a unanimous vote by the search committee, his appointment was confirmed by the Supervisory Board. Reif succeeds Patrick Hahn, who is stepping down at his own request in the summer of 2026 after five successful seasons.
A GRAMMY Award-winner, Christian Reif has established a reputation for his natural musicality, innovative programming, and highly precise conducting technique. Since 2022, he has served as Music Director of the Lakes Area Music Festival, a month-long summer festival in Minnesota featuring a diverse range of programming - from opera and chamber music to symphonic concerts and world premieres. With a strong presence in both North America and Europe, Christian Reif has conducted symphony orchestras of Los Angeles and Houston, Munich Radio Orchestra, SWR Symphony Orchestra, and BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, amongst others.
He is equally at home in the opera house and has led productions of Ariadne auf Naxos, Don Pasquale, Hänsel und Gretel, and The Rake's Progress at the Lakes Area Music Festival, Don Giovanni at the Music Academy of the West, The Merry Wives of Windsor at Juilliard Opera, and Pagliacci at Opera San José. From 2016 to 2019, Christian Reif was Resident Conductor of the San Francisco Symphony and Music Director of the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra, following his time as a Conducting Fellow at the New World Symphony and the Tanglewood Music Center. He studied conducting at the Mozarteum University Salzburg and at The Juilliard School in New York City.
Reif won a GRAMMY Award in 2024 for the Nonesuch Records release Walking in the Dark, the debut solo album of soprano Julia Bullock, in which he appears as pianist and conducts the Philharmonia Orchestra.
Christian Reif, General Music Director Designate: "To be welcomed into the role of General Music Director of the Wuppertaler Bühnen and Sinfonieorchester is both a joy and a responsibility that I embrace with gratitude.
"From the very first time making music with the orchestra and singers, we shared an immediate and strong musical connection, alongside a remarkable spirit of openness. On stage and beyond, together we will harness this collective creative energy to develop performances that speak with clarity, intensity, and imagination.
About the Wuppertal Symphony Orchestra
The Wuppertal Symphony Orchestra is a jewel of the German orchestral landscape. Performing over 40 programs per season, the ensemble is known for its versatility and infectious passion for performance. It also serves as a flexible and sonorous partner to the Wuppertal Opera. The orchestra's history dates back to 1862, when 18 musicians founded the "Elberfelder Kapelle." Since 1900, its home has been the Historische Stadthalle Wuppertal, one of Europe's finest concert halls. For over 20 years, the orchestra has been a leader in music education and sustainability, including its membership in the Orchester des Wandels (Orchestras of Change) initiative.
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