Conductor
Austrian conductor Franz Welser-Möst has established himself as one of the world's preeminent interpreters of the German-Austrian repertoire, commanding both the Cleveland Orchestra and Vienna State Opera with philosophical depth and orchestral refinement.
Defining moments and milestones
After a car accident redirected him from violin to conducting, Welser-Möst emerged in the mid-1980s as a conductor of unusual interpretive maturity, earning swift debuts at the Salzburg Festival and London Philharmonic Orchestra. His Vienna State Opera debut in 1987 substituting for Claudio Abbado marked his arrival among Europe's conducting elite, and his subsequent three-decade career has established him as the preeminent interpreter of the German-Austrian repertoire. As Music Director of the Cleveland Orchestra since 2002—a tenure extended through 2027 making him the longest-serving conductor in the orchestra's history—and a commanding presence at Vienna State Opera and Salzburg Festival, Welser-Möst has become one of classical music's most respected and philosophically grounded maestros.
Music Director of the Cleveland Orchestra (2002–2027), the longest tenure in the orchestra's history; Kennedy Center Gold Medal in the Arts (2019); Honorary Member of the Vienna Philharmonic (2024)
University of Music and Theatre Munich
Recordings featuring Franz Welser-Möst in the Society index
Additional recordings will appear here as the catalog expands.