James Allen Gähres


James Allen Gähres is an American conductor, based in Germany.

Biography

Gähres studied music, conducting, composition and piano at the Peabody Conservatory of Music in Baltimore, where he was musical assistant of the Peabody Symphony Orchestra in his final study year, and as a Fulbright-Fellowship holder with Hans Swarovsky at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna. He attended Master classes with Bruno Maderna in Salzburg.
Gähres began his conducting career began after several years as a freelance composer and pianist in southern Germany. He worked as a conductor at several opera houses in Germany, including 10 years as first Kapellmeister at the Staatsoper Hannover. Then he was engaged as the first conductor at the Staatstheater Braunschweig for three years. His work in Germany included conducting the German premiere of Leonard Bernstein's Candide, in the Scottish Opera version, at the Deutsche Oper Berlin, at the invitation of Götz Friedrich. He also worked regularly with the Lower Saxony Youth Symphony Orchestra and the Youth Symphony Orchestra of the Saarland on concert tours, in Israel, Spain, the United States, France, Great Britain and Canada.
From 1994 to 2011, Gähres was Generalmusikdirektor at the Theater Ulm, which also encompassed the post of chief conductor of the Ulm Philharmonic Orchestra. During his Ulm tenure, Gähres founded the tradition of the New Year's concerts and of the Herbert von Karajan Memorial concerts. He recorded more than 15 CDs as chief conductor in Ulm.

Selected Discography