Young conductor takes on ‘Carmina Burana’ at Aspendos

ANTALYA

Haberstock is the founder and chief conductor of the Munich Festival Orchestra.

Twenty-two-year-old conductor Maximilian Cem Haberstock will lead German composer Carl Orff’s “Carmina Burana” at the 33rd Aspendos Opera and Ballet Festival in Antalya.

Organized by the General Directorate of State Opera and Ballet under the Culture and Tourism Ministry, “Carmina Burana” will be performed twice, on Sept. 19 and 21.

The Antalya State Opera and Ballet Orchestra, soloists, chorus, children’s chorus, ballet and modern dance ensembles will come together in a 250-member cast for the production.

Haberstock, who has established an international career in both symphonic and operatic repertoire, is the founder and chief conductor of the Munich Festival Orchestra, formerly known as the Munich Youth Philharmonic Orchestra. Founded in 2023, the international ensemble comprises 97 young musicians from 32 countries and has performed with soloists including Alban Gerhardt, Daniel Müller-Schott, Eva Gevorgyan and Maxim Lando.

Haberstock has performed at major European venues including the Mozarteum Salzburg, Smetana Hall in Prague, Kurhaus Wiesbaden, Alte Oper Frankfurt and Herkulessaal in Munich. Since 2024, he has also conducted concerts and operas in Izmir, Eskişehir, Bursa and Antalya.

He is also an award-winning pianist and continues his studies in conducting, piano and composition in Munich and Dresden.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Haberstock described “Carmina Burana” as a large-scale work in which orchestra, chorus, soloists and all the elements on stage come together with high energy.

He said one of the most exciting aspects of the work for a conductor was bringing its large structure together around a single musical idea.

The setting of the Aspendos Ancient Theater adds another dimension to the performance, he said.

“At a theater like Aspendos, with a history of nearly 2,000 years, you inevitably experience the concept of time differently. The texts of ‘Carmina Burana’ also deal with very fundamental and essentially timeless aspects of human life: Fate, love, desire, happiness, loss and the constant change of life. Bringing these texts to life again in such an ancient setting creates, in my view, a very natural and strong connection between the work and the venue,” Haberstock said.

He added that his main challenge was to control the powerful energy of “Carmina Burana” while preserving the details, colors and dramatic structure of the music.

Haberstock said the performance also brought together two places that have been important parts of his life.

“I was born and raised in Munich. Carl Orff is also an important figure in Munich’s cultural history. The manuscripts that inspired ‘Carmina Burana’ were found at Benediktbeuern Abbey, just outside Munich. On the other hand, my mother is from Istanbul and Türkiye has been a natural part of my life since childhood. Now conducting this work, which has such a strong connection to Munich, in Türkiye and in an extraordinary place like Aspendos means that these two sides of my life are coming together in a very beautiful and natural way,” he said.

Haberstock said that when conducting a work for the first time, he does not focus solely on the notes. Instead, he first seeks to understand the work’s world, language and structure in depth, together with what the composer intended to convey. He said he wanted audiences to experience both the vitality and dramatic tension behind the work, noting that it begins with “O Fortuna” and eventually returns to it.
“Above all the exuberance, love and joy of life, there is constantly a wheel of fate turning,” he said.

Istanbul debut in 2027

Haberstock said he had had the opportunity to work in several Turkish cities in both concert and opera repertoire and was particularly struck by the warm and direct response of Turkish audiences.

He also announced that he would make his Istanbul debut with the Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra in April 2027.

“I am already looking forward to this meeting with great excitement,” he said.

Haberstock also spoke about the Munich Festival Orchestra, which he founded to bring together outstanding musicians of his generation around a shared musical vision.

The orchestra now has 97 musicians from 32 countries. He said its defining feature was not the musicians’ age or nationality but their musical ability and the distinctive identity they created together.

He said the orchestra had grown and matured considerably in recent years and that he hoped to continue developing it both artistically and institutionally.

Haberstock said his biggest goal was to develop a distinctive musical identity in both symphonic and operatic

repertoire and contribute to the continuation of the great musical tradition he had spoken about.

German composer Carl Orff’s monumental work will be performed on Sept. 19 and 21 at the ancient theater, bringing together a 250-member cast of musicians, singers, dancers and choirs