Markus Stenz

Markus Stenz is a German conductor principally known for interpretations of Mahler, Strauss, and 20th and 21st century opera, alongside a sustained commitment to new music. Among his major professional engagements are posts with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, the Gürzenich Orchestra Cologne, the Hallé Orchestra, and the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra. He has worked closely with contemporary composers Hans Werner Henze, Helmut Lachenmann, and György Kurtág, championing their music both on the podium and in the recording studio. Stenz's extensive discography encompasses Hindemith with the Ensemble Modern (1995), albums devoted to Henze (2001) and Lachenmann (2008), and a Mahler symphony cycle recorded from 2009 to 2016. His 2015 recording of Schoenberg's Gurrelieder won a Gramophone Award. Stenz's many Melbourne Symphony recordings highlight Australian and contemporary repertoire. In 2026, he released a recording of Kurtág's Fin de partie.