Kynan Johns, conductor

"Incisive... first rate... brilliant" - New York TImes
"His direction breathes theater... attentive to the singer, lively, aerial and sensual" - Le Monde de la Musique

A protégé of Maestro Lorin Maazel, Kynan Johns has conducted over 100 orchestras including the Israel Philharmonic, Rotterdam Philharmonic, and Vienna Chamber Orchestra. He has worked at Covent Garden, conducted at La Scala, and worked with Maazel and Mehta for four seasons at the Palau de les Arts (Opera House) in Spain. In addition to complete Beethoven, Brahms, Strauss and Mahler cycles his opera credits include Don Giovanni, Madame Butterfly, Luisa Miller, Don Carlos, Turn of the Screw, La Boheme, Traviata, Faust, Adés's Powder Her Face & Offenbach's Perichole.

Resume • Repertorie • Recordings

PROFESSIONAL ENGAGEMENTS

Professional Orchestral/ Opera Conducting Positions

2009-17
 

2013-14

2006-10
 

2002-03


2000-02

Associate Principal Guest Conductor
Orquesta Clasica Santa Cecilia, Madrid

Conductor, New York City Opera

Director Assistente, Assistant to Lorin Maazel and Zubin Mehta
Palau de les Arts “Reina Sofia”, Valencia

Principal Conductor
Ashdod Chamber Orchestra

Resident Associate Conductor
Symphony Australia network (including Opera Australia)

Academic Appointments

2003- 
 

2000


1999-00 

Director of Orchestras, Associate Professor
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

Conductor in Residence
University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Head of Choral/ Opera/ Chamber Music
Melba Conservatorium, University of Victoria, Australia


PROFESSIONAL GUEST CONDUCTING ENGAGEMENTS

Opera and Other Engagements

2017
 



2016


2015



2014



2013







2012
 

2011


2010
 

2009


2008

2006-10

















2005

2002

2000
 

MSM: Strauss Die Ziguenerbaron
RU Opera: Poulenc Dialogues of the Carmelites
RU Opera: Beethoven Fidelio
Teatro Real, Madrid - Opera Gala with Lawrence Brownlee

RU Opera: Mozart Cosi Fan Tutte
NY Lyric Opera: Mozart Don Giovanni & Die Zauberflöte

Teatro Real, Madrid - Opera Gala with Olga Peretyatko and Dmitri Korchak
State Opera of South Australia: Gounod Faust
RU Opera: Delibes Lakmé

NYC: Pruzhansky Songs of Solomon
RU Chamber: Weill Threepenny Opera @Le Poisson Rouge
RU Opera: Candide ­ 

MSM: Weill Mahagonny
New York City Opera: Offenbach La Perichole
New York City Opera: Chin Alice in Wonderland
New York City OperaAdés Powder Her Face
New York City Opera: Turnage Anna Nicole
RU Opera: Verdi Falstaff
RU Chamber: Britten Rape of Lucretia

State Opera of South Australia: Puccini La Boheme
RU Opera: Massenet Cendrillon

Opera Haute Normandie: Britten Turn of the Screw
RU Opera: Mozart Magic Flute

Magdeburg Oper: Mozart Don Giovanni
RU Opera: Floyd Susannah

MSM: Strauss Die Fledermaus
RU Opera: Puccini Il Trittico, Donizetti Il Campanello

La Scala: Maazel's 1984

Palau de les Arts “Riene Sofia”, Spain
Verdi Don Carlos
Verdi Luisa Miller
Verdi Simon Boccanegra
Puccini Madama Butterfly
Puccini La Boheme
Puccini Turandot
Puccini Tosca
Gounod Faust
Wagner Das Rheingold
Wagner Die Walküre
Wagner Parsifal
Bizet Carmen
Maazel 1984
Mozart Don Giovanni
Ravel L'enfant et les Sortilèges
Beethoven Fidelio

Royal Opera House Covent Garden: 1984 

Israeli New Opera: Britten Peter Grimes (assistant)

OzOpera : Rossini The Barber of Seville
Opera Australia: Offenbach Tales of Hoffmann (assistant)

Selected Orchestral Conducting Engagements 

2017



2016




2015



2014



2013






2012



 

2011



 

2010


 

2009


 

2008



 

2007





2006



 

2005



 

2004


 

2003




 

2002





 

2001

 

New West Symphony Orchestra
Orquesta Clásica Santa Cecilia
Orquestra Sinfonia de España

New West Symphony Orchestra
Orquesta Clasica Santa Cecilia
New York Chamber Orchestra
New York Lyric Opera Company

New York Chamber Symphony
Orquestra Santa Cecilia, Madrid
London & Vienna Kammerorchester

Orquestra Santa Cecilia, Madrid
Zuidnederlands Philharmoniche Orkest
Brevard Music Academy

Dortmund Philharmoniker
Limburg Symphony Orchestra
Orquestra Nacional de Espana
Orquestra Metropolitana, Lisboa
Orquestra Santa Cecilia, Spain
New Jersey Symphony Orchestra

Symphonica de Asturias
Adelaide Symphony Orchestra
Orquestra Excellentia, Madrid
Israel Symphony Orchestra
Opera de Rouen, France

Symphonica de Asturias, Spain
Orquestra Excellentia, Madrid
Israel Symphony Orchestra
Limburg Symphony Orchestra
Colorado Springs Philharmonic

Limburg Symphony Orchestra, Holland
Het Gelders Orkest, Holland
Symphonie St. Ceclia, Madrid
Orquestra Cadaques

Asturias Symphony Orchestra, Spain
Limburg Symphony, Orchestra, Holland
Israel Symphony Orchestra
Gelders Orkest, Holland

Orquestra Palau de les Arts, Spain
Limburg Symphony Orchestra, Holland
Northwest Deutsche Philharmonie
Rotterdam Philharmonic, Holland
Asturias Orchestra, Spain

Limburg Symphony Orchestra, Holland
Northwest Deutsche Philharmonie
LaFayette Symphony Orchestra, USA
Orquestra de la Communidad, Valencia
Sydney Symphony Orchestra, AUS

Limburg Symphony Orchestra, Holland
Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra
Santa Barbara Symphony Orchestra
Sydney Symphony Orchestra, AUS
North West Deutsche Philharmonie

Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra
Israel Philharmonic Orchestra
Beijing Symphony Orchestra, China
Limburg Symphony Orchestra, Holland
Ra’anana Symphonette, Israel

Vienna Chamber Orchestra, Austria
Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Israel
Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra
Limburg Symphony Orchestra

Limburg Symphony Orchestra
New Zealand Symphony Orchestra
Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra
The Queensland Orchestra
Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra
Ra’anana Symphonette, Israel

Orchestra of St. Lukes, USA
Limburg Symphony Orchestra
Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, WA and Queensland Symphony Orchestras
Raanana Symphonietta, Israel
Verbier Festival Youth Orchestra
Musica Nova, Israel
Israel Philharmonic Orchestra

Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Queensland Symphony Orchestras
Dunedin Sinfonia & Chorus, NZ
Netherlands Radio Symphony Orkest           



EDUCATION

Professional Studies - Conducting and Composition

1997-98

1996-04

1995

1992-94

Samuel Rubin Academy : Post Graduate Studies : Prof. Noam Sheriff, Israel

University of Sydney : Master’s Degree (Conducting) : David Porcelijn

University of Adelaide : Honour’s Degree (Conducting) : Nicholas Braithwaite

University of Adelaide : Bachelor of Music : Graeme Koehne

Private Studies - Conducting

2002
 

2000

 

Verbier Festival : UBS Festival orchestra : Maestro James Levine
Masterclass Geneva, Switzerland : Maestro Kurt Masur

36th International Kirill : Radio Centre, Hilversum : Maestri Peter Eotvos
Kondrashin Mastercourse Netherlands Ton Koopman, Eri Klas


PRIZES AND AWARDS

2006
 

2005
 

2003

2002 
 

2000 
 

1999 

1998 

1996 

Recording of the Month Award : Music-web International
Flagello : Concerto Sinfonico Naxos 8.559296

49th Besançon International Conducting Competition : 1 of 5 semi-finalists out of 240 candidates

Australian Government : Centenary Medal for services to music

Dimitris Mitropoulos International Conducting Competition (Athens, Greece) : 2nd Prize
Maazel/Vilar Conducting Competition: Finalist Carnegie Hall

Arts SA Mentorship : Emerging ‘Artist of the Year’ : South Australian Government
Queens Trust : Scholarship Award

ABC Young Conductor of the Year : Brian Stacey Memorial Trust Award

Young Australian of the Year : Medibank Private Arts Award (South Australia)

ABC Young Conductor of the Year : Nelly Apt Bequest (further studies primarily in Israel)


RECORDINGS

2013 

2010 

2006 

 

2005

2002 

 

Cendrillon : Rutgers Opera (NAXOS)

Turandot : Palau de les Arts (DVD - Unitel)

Nicolas Flagello Concerto Sinfonico : Rutgers Symphony Orchestra (NAXOS 8.559296, 
Conductor Kynan Johns : American Classics)
1984 – an Opera by Maazel : Royal Opera House, Covent Garden (DVD)

Mahler Symphony No.1 : Beijing Symphony Orchestra (DVD-Live Anycall)

Australian Music Selections : Sydney Symphony (SSOCDROM1)