Dresden State Operetta Names New Chief Conductor

The American conductor and pianist Michael Ellis Ingram will step into the role

The American conductor and pianist Michael Ellis Ingram will begin his time at the Dresden State Operetta at the opening of the 2024/25 season, at which point he will succeed Johannes Pell — who has held the post for the past four seasons.

Previously the First Kapellmeister at the Nordhausen Theater, Ingram has been the répétiteur and conductor at the Mecklenburg State Theater since the 2016/2017 season.

In addition to conducting, Ingram has appeared as a visiting professor at the New England Conservatory and the University of Maryland School of Music. He has also taught music and English literature at various schools in the USA and Germany, including at the “Clara Schumann” music and art school in Leipzig.

Ingram studied conducting with James Buswell, James Ross, and Ulrich Windfuhr as well as piano with Mia Chung and Alina Polyakov.

Since 2011, he has been the Director of Musical Studies at the Salzburg Institute of Religion, Culture and the Arts, where he frequently gives interdisciplinary lectures on music history.