Alexander Joel (conductor)

Charles Alexander Joel[1] (born 1971 in London, England) is a British pianist and conductor.

Alexander Joel
Born	Charles Alexander Joel 1971 London, England
Nationality	British
Occupation	Pianist and conductor
Website	http://www.alexanderjoel.com/

Career

Joel began his conducting career in Nuremberg, followed by positions at Baden bei Wien, Klagenfurt and the Vienna Volksoper. From 2001 to 2007 he held the position of Erste Kapellmeister at the Deutsche Oper am Rhein[2]

He has served as guest conductor for numerous orchestras in Europe and elsewhere, including the Bavarian State Opera, the Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden, the MDR Symphony Orchestra, the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin and the Hamburg State Opera (Hamburgische Staatsoper). Outside Germany, Joel has conducted at the Teatro Regio in Parma, Italy, the Finnish National Opera, Helsinki, Municipal Theater of Santiago, Chile, and the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, Paris, among others.

From the 2007/2008 to the 2013/14 season Alexander Joel was the musical director (Generalmusikdirektor) of Staatstheater Braunschweig and principal conductor of Staatsorchester Braunschweig, succeeding Jonas Alber, who had led the orchestra since 1997.[3][4]

Personal life

Joel is a grandson of Karl Amson Joel and the half brother of American singer/songwriter Billy Joel and his sister.[5][1] His parents were Audrey and Howard Joel. His father, born in Nuremberg, Germany as Helmut Joel, had immigrated with his parents to the United States as refugees from Nazi persecution of Jews. He worked in New York as an engineer, where he married his first wife. They had two children together. After they divorced in 1957, Howard Joel returned to Europe. He married Audrey.

References

1. Hank Bordowitz, Billy Joel: The Life and Times of an Angry Young Man, New York: Billboard, 2005, ISBN 9780823082506, p. 61.
2. Deutsche Oper am Rhein; Berns (17 April 2009)
3. Staatstheater Braunschweig; Paxman (26 April 2008)
4. Biography on Alexander Joel's homepage
5. Tallmer (2003)

Sources

• Berns, Hajo, "Mozarts Schwanengesang", Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung, 17 April 2009, Accessed 27 October 2009 (in German).
• Deutsche Oper am Rhein, Alexander Joel. Accessed 27 October 2009 (in German).
• Likus, Harald, "Ein Joel klingt nicht wie der andere", Braunschweiger Zeitung, 22 December 2005. Accessed 27 October 2009 (in German).
• Lipson, Karen, "A tale of two Nazi-era families", Newsday, 19 January 2003. Accessed via subscription 27 October 2009
• Paxmann, Jürgen, "Neuer Dirigent gastiert in Helmstedt", Braunschweiger Zeitung, 26 April 2008. Accessed 27 October 2009 (in German).
• Staatstheater Braunschweig, Alexander Joel. Accessed 27 October 2009 (in German).
• Summa Cum Laude International Youth Music Festival, Alexander Joel, Conductor. Accessed 27 October 2009
• Tallmer, Jerry, "Billy Joel grapples with the past", The Villager, Vol. 73, Issue 11, July 16–22, 2003. Accessed 27 October 2009

External links

• Official Website
• "L'invité culturel: Alexander Joel, chef d'orchestre, dirige Madame Butterfly au Grand Théâtre de Genève". Interview with Alexander Joel, RTS Un, 29 April 2013 (in French) (Video)