From the outset of his conducting career, the name of Christoph Poppen has been internationally recognised and synonymous for innovative and original programming and commitment across all genres of classical music. A frequent guest conductor, he has worked with orchestras such as Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Staatskapelle Dresden, Bamberger Symphoniker, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Wiener Symphoniker, Orquestra Sinfônica do Estado de São Paulo, New Japan Philharmonic, and also enjoys longstanding artistic relationships with important orchestras such as Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, Residentie Orchestra, Netherlands Philharmonic, KBS Symphony Orchestra, to name just a few.
In the 2022/23 season, Christoph Poppen continues his highly successful collaborations with the Kölner Kammerorchester in his role as Principal Conductor and as Principal Guest Conductor of both Hong Kong Sinfonietta and Israel Chamber Orchestra. Other highlights include an engagement with Orquestra Sinfónica do Porto Casa da Música and return visits to Deutsche Radiophilharmonie Saarbrücken Kaiserslautern, Münchener Kammerorchester, Athens State Orchestra, and the continuation of his recorded cycle of the complete Mozart Masses with Kölner Kammerorchester for Naxos.
In the field of opera, he very successfully led a production of Die Entführung aus dem Serail at Aalto Theatre in Essen and performances of Gluck’s Iphigénie en Aulide at Staatsoper Stuttgart. In 2016 he returned to the Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa for a production of Don Giovanni. He conducted performances of Les pêcheurs de perles at Oper Frankfurt – which led to an immediate re-invitation for Die Zauberflöte – and created the new production of Sing For Me, Death by composer Claude Vivier with the RuhrTriennale company in Gelsenkirchen. In 2017 he conducted Weber’s Oberon in concert version at Opera Köln.
Sergey Smbatyan is the Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra, the Principal Conductor of the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra and the Principal Guest Conductor of Berlin Symphony Orchestra. A passionate popularizer of classical music, the conductor has extensive international engagement, while championing rejuvenation of classical music audiences and promoting contemporary classical music worldwide.
Sergey Smbatyan serves as Artistic Director of a number of annual music festivals, as well as the Khachaturyan International Competition. He has initiated a variety of educational and cultural programs which are implemented by the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra with the aim of fostering cultural development among the younger generation. Meanwhile, the Music for Future Foundation (M4FF), established by Sergey Smbatyan, has been supporting the professional advancement of young musicians since 2019.
In recent concert seasons, he has performed as a guest conductor with the London Symphony Orchestra, the Philharmonia Orchestra, the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra, the Dresden Philharmonic, Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra of Bratislava and other orchestras. In the 2022-2023 concert season, Sergey Smbatyan toured the United Kingdom with the Romanian National Philharmonic Orchestra, and in 2023 led the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra on a UK tour dedicated to Aram Khachatryan's 120th anniversary.
Sergey Smbatyan was appointed as a UNICEF National Ambassador in 2023.