Making music with equal ease and command in the opera and symphonic worlds, ASHER FISCH conducts a broad repertoire from Gluck to 21st century premieres, with a special command and following for German Romantic and post-Romantic repertoire. Fisch is the Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor of the West Australian Symphony Orchestra (WASO) since 2014, and from the 24/25 season is also the music director of the Tyrolean Festival Erl in Austria. He was previously music director of the New Israeli Opera (1998-2008) and Wiener Volksoper (1995-2005), and was principal guest conductor of the Seattle Opera (2007-2013).
In addition to his concerts with WASO, Fisch guest conducts the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Sydney Symphony, and Oregon Symphony this season. Opera productions include Ariadne auf Naxos with the Israeli Opera; and La bohème, Parsifal, and the “Verdi trilogy” of Rigoletto, ll trovatore, and La traviata in Erl. His recent engagements included Aribert Reimann’s Lear at Teatro Real de Madrid, Carmen at Wiener Staatsoper, Dialogues des Carmélites at Israeli Opera, Lohengrin and La forza del destino at Teatro Comunale di Bologna, Cavalleria Rusticana & Pagliacci at Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre, and Tannhäuser at Opera Australia, as well as orchestral performances with the Düsseldorfer Symphoniker, Queensland Symphony, New Zealand Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony, and Seattle Symphony.
Born in Israel, Fisch began his conducting career as Daniel Barenboim’s assistant and kappellmeister at the Berlin Staatsoper. He has built his versatile repertoire at the major opera houses such as the Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, San Francisco Opera, Teatro alla Scala, Royal Opera House at Covent Garden, Bayerische Staatsoper, and Semperoper Dresden. Fisch has conducted at leading American symphony orchestras including those of Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, New York, and Philadelphia. In Europe he has appeared at the Berlin Philharmonic, Munich Philharmonic, London Symphony Orchestra, Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, and the Orchestre National de France, among others.
Fisch’s award-winning discography includes Bruckner’s Symphony No. 8 and Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde; tenor Stuart Skelton’s first solo album, recorded with WASO; and a recording of Ravel’s L’heure espagnole with the Munich Radio Orchestra. In 2016, he recorded the complete Brahms symphonies with WASO, released on ABC Classics to great acclaim. His recording of Wagner’s Ring Cycle with the Seattle Opera was released in 2014. His first Ring Cycle recording, with the State Opera of South Australia, won ten Helpmann Awards, including best opera and best music direction. Fisch is also an accomplished pianist and has recorded a solo disc of Wagner piano transcriptions for the Melba label.
JANUARY 2025
