Twenty-two-year-old conductor Maximilian Cem Haberstock will conduct Carl Orff's Carmina Burana stage cantata at the Aspendos Ancient Theater on September 19 and 21 as part of a festival organized by the General Directorate of State Opera and Ballet.
A 250-member cast comprising the Antalya State Opera and Ballet Orchestra conducted by Haberstock, soloists, a choir, children's choir, ballet and modern dance ensembles will perform on the same stage for the work.
Leading an orchestra of 97 young musicians from 32 countries
Alongside his work in the symphonic repertoire, Haberstock continues his activities in opera. He serves as the founder and chief conductor of the Munich Festival Orchestra, established in 2023. The ensemble, formerly known as the Munich Young Philharmonic Orchestra, comprises 97 young musicians from 32 countries.
Since its establishment, the orchestra has accompanied soloists including Alban Gerhardt, Daniel Müller-Schott, Eva Gevorgyan and Maxim Lando. Haberstock has also performed at European concert halls such as Mozarteum Salzburg, Smetana Hall in Prague, Kurhaus Wiesbaden, Alte Oper Frankfurt and Herkulessaal in Munich.
Haberstock, who has conducted concerts and operas in Izmir, Eskişehir, Bursa and Antalya since 2024, has also won numerous international first prizes as a pianist. He continues his studies in conducting, piano and composition in Munich and Dresden.
Haberstock: Aspendos adds a different dimension to the work
Haberstock said Carmina Burana is a large-scale work in which the orchestra, choir, soloists and other elements on stage come together with great energy. He said the most exciting aspect for a conductor was bringing this extensive structure together around a single musical idea, adding that the Aspendos Ancient Theater gives the work a different dimension.
Haberstock said conducting such an extensive work in a powerful historical atmosphere brings both excitement and responsibility. He noted that he was focused on maintaining the details, colors and dramatic structure while keeping the energy of the music under control.
Haberstock said Aspendos's approximately 2,000-year history changes the sense of time. He said the work's texts explore timeless themes such as fate, love, desire, happiness, loss and the constant change of life. He added that these themes coming to life again in a historic venue creates a natural and powerful connection between the work and Aspendos.
Bringing Munich and Türkiye together through the same work
Haberstock said he was born and raised in Munich and that Carl Orff also holds an important place in the city's cultural history. He said the manuscripts that inspired Carmina Burana were found at Benediktbeuern Abbey near Munich, adding that his mother was from Istanbul and that Türkiye had been a natural part of his life since childhood.
Haberstock said conducting the work in Türkiye, and at a venue such as Aspendos, brings together his personal and cultural ties between Munich and Türkiye. He said that when conducting a work for the first time, he does not focus solely on the notes but also seeks to understand the work's world, language and structure alongside what the composer intended to convey.
Haberstock said the emotion conveyed to the audience through the rhythmic, choral and orchestral structure of Carmina Burana emerges when all the elements are brought together with the right musical understanding. He noted that the work carries both the energy of life and the power of fate over human beings.
Haberstock drew attention to the work's beginning with O Fortuna and its return to the same section, saying that a wheel of fate constantly turns above enthusiasm, love and the joy of life. He said he wanted the audience to feel both the great energy and the dramatic tension behind it.
He will perform in Istanbul for the first time in 2027
Haberstock said that when founding the Munich Festival Orchestra, he aimed to bring together outstanding musicians of his generation around a shared and clear musical understanding. He said the ensemble had grown and matured in recent years, adding that he aimed to continue its artistic, musical and institutional development so it could become one of the leading ensembles of the future.
Haberstock said audiences in Türkiye respond to music directly and warmly, adding that he particularly felt their strong interest in opera and large-scale symphonic works. He announced that he would appear before Istanbul audiences for the first time with the Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra in April 2027.
Aiming to leave a lasting artistic legacy
Haberstock said he aimed to develop a distinctive musical identity in the symphonic and opera repertoire and make his own artistic contribution to the musical tradition. He said he wanted to expand the Munich Festival Orchestra while working with leading orchestras and opera houses around the world.
Haberstock said he wanted to conduct Wagner's Ring with the Vienna Philharmonic and Bruckner's Symphony No. 8 with the Berlin Philharmonic in the future. He added that through his conducting work and the orchestra he founded, he aimed to create a powerful artistic legacy that could be passed on to future generations.
