How surprised are you that you will no longer be chief conductor of the Graz Opera when your contract expires in the summer of 2023?
ROLAND KLUTTIG: Not at all, because I made the decision. When I started in 2020, it was already clear to me that three years in Graz might also be realistic, because director Nora Schmid is very interesting for all large houses in the German-speaking area and might change, which will now happen with her departure to Dresden in 2023. And my position is tied to theirs.
So no conflict with the designated artistic director Ulrich Lenz?
ROLAND KLUTTIG: Not at all. We had very good, trusting discussions with him.
You must not have felt that you have really arrived, and now you will soon be gone once more.
ROLAND KLUTTIG:When I and my wife moved to Graz with bag and baggage, we immediately felt at home here and in the whole of Styria. Professionally, the pandemic was of course very difficult. It’s only since this year – since the New Year’s concert – that I’ve had normal operations, with very nice tasks.
Namely?
ROLAND KLUTTIG: From the Haas opera “Morgen und Abend” to two Musikverein concerts and a guest performance in the Konzerthaus Wien with the orchestra to the “Holländer”, the “Ring in one evening” and the “Winterreise” by Hans Zender. I am proud of all these results and how fantastic the orchestra has developed.
Is there something that bothers you regarding the house?
ROLAND KLUTTIG: Yes, that the position of chief conductor of the Graz Philharmonic does not offer the same degree of creative freedom as elsewhere in the German-speaking world, especially with regard to program design in the concert area and also with regard to the invitation of guest conductors and guest soloists, which in our case is exclusively in the hands of the music club is located. I think the way the orchestra is integrated into the overall structure of the house is in need of reform. An extended orchestra management – as usual – would be helpful. And the structures within the orchestra are too hierarchical. In any case, I would like the Graz Philharmonic to have longer-serving chief conductors so that they can make a difference.
What might you change yourself?
ROLAND KLUTTIG: I would very much wish that the Graz Philharmonic would have a much higher status in the city and in the country. There is a great deal of openness in the orchestra – see the production “Winterreise” – but I was able to carry out other very innovative projects such as a “Symphonic Mob”, in which our professionals were supposed to play with amateurs, despite great support from the management of the house not enforce. The criticism on the one hand and the enthusiasm regarding the musical successes on the other hand: that finally tore me apart and then the decision was made to leave. Such a step is of course complex, and other things also play a role.
But that doesn’t mean you’re tipping into nothing, right?
ROLAND KLUTTIG:No, even if I leave without backup. The step is conscious and I’m curious regarding what’s coming. I have dared to take the leap to become a freelance conductor before and have learned that new perspectives are always opening up. Now I dedicate myself entirely to the tasks here in Graz. But the appointment calendar followingwards is already quite full: I have invitations from German, Austrian and Scandinavian orchestras, and maybe there will be a reunion in Graz soon.
