Andrea Zietzschmann is stepping down as director of the Berlin Philharmonic Foundation. She will not be renewing her contract, which runs until August 2028, the Senate Department for Culture announced on Monday. Senator for Culture Stefan Evers (CDU) said he had "taken note of Zietzschmann's decision with great regret." With her departure, the Berlin Philharmonic Foundation is losing "an outstanding cultural manager whose vision, integrity, and tireless commitment have strengthened the institution's profile far beyond the city limits.".

Andrea Zietzschmann

Zietzschmann, born in Schwenningen am Neckar in 1970, assumed the position in 2017. She described the past years with the Berlin Philharmonic and chief conductor Kirill Petrenko (from 2019) as "an unforgettable experience." After eleven years, she said, it will be "time to move on to a new path" in 2028. The planned major renovation of the Philharmonie, scheduled for 2032, will also require an artistic director who is well-versed in the subject matter and can oversee the project long-term. "The timing of my change is intended to contribute to this," Zietzschmann emphasized.

"From the very beginning, she tirelessly tried to remove all obstacles so that I could concentrate on the actual work," Petrenko explained. The artistic director, he said, "paved the way with energy, perseverance, and unwavering loyalty, making the shared successes of recent years possible.".

The orchestra's board members, Eva-Maria Tomasi and Walter Küssner, also thanked Zietzschmann for her work to date. They said the artistic director had guided the foundation with a clear vision through both successful and challenging times. At the same time, they were very grateful that she had informed them of her decision early on. "This gives us the opportunity, together with the cultural affairs officers of the Berlin Senate, to arrange her succession with the necessary foresight and care."

Musicologist and business administrator Zietzschmann co-founded the Mahler Chamber Orchestra with Claudio Abbado in 1997, serving as its artistic director for six years. In 2003, she joined Hessischer Rundfunk (Hessian Broadcasting) as orchestra manager and became the station's music director in 2008. From 2013, she headed the orchestra, choir, and concerts department of NDR (North German Broadcasting). She succeeded Martin Hoffmann as conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic in 2017, after Hoffmann declined to renew his contract following seven years in the role.

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