about

Friederike Scheunchen is a German conductor in the field of opera, orchestra, contemporary and experimental projects.

She works internationally with a wide range of orchestras and ensembles and being also a specialist in contemporary music she has premiered more than 350 pieces.

Currently she is working as conductor and assistant to GMD André de Ridder at Theater Freiburg as well as being invited a guest-conductor.

Since 2021 she is supported by the Forum Dirigieren of Deutscher Musikrat, since 2023 being on their prestigious list of 'Konzertförderung'.

Conducting engagements have taken her to the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg with Ensemble Resonanz + Dirk Rothbrust, to Harvard (Cambridge, USA), to festivals such as the Wittener Tage für Neue Kammermusik and the Taschenopernfestival Salzburg as well as to the Laeiszhalle Hamburg with Matthew Herbert for the live scoring of a Bundesliga soccer match.

Conductor Friederike Scheunchen has an exceptionally broad repertoire spanning opera, symphonic and ensemble music—from early music to contemporary works and experimental formats. She has conducted Ensemble Modern, the Stuttgarter Philharmoniker (debut 2026), Ensemble Musikfabrik, the Göttinger Symphonieorchester, Klangforum Wien (debut 2027), the Philharmonische Orchester der Stadt Trier, the Junge Deutsche Philharmonie, Ensemble Resonanz, Ensemble Recherche, Ensemble Ascolta, the Bundesjugendorchester, the Freiburger Barockorchester (debut 2026), SWR Vokalensemble and many others.

She has appeared at renowned venues including the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, Harvard University (USA), and the Laeiszhalle Hamburg, where she collaborated with Matthew Herbert to live-score music for a Bundesliga football match.

She has appeared at venues and festivals such as the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, Laeiszhalle Hamburg, Konzerthaus Wien, Konzerthaus Freiburg, Oper Frankfurt, Festspielhaus Baden-Baden, Lokhalle Göttingen, Harvard University (USA), Taschenopernfestival Salzburg, Wittener Tage für Neue Kammermusik, Donaueschinger Musiktage, Moers Festival, impuls Festival Graz, Davos Festival, Bludenzer Tage zeitgemäßer Musik, Museum Tinguely Basel, ORF Studios, Podium Festival Esslingen, Gare du Nord Basel, ECLAT Festival Stuttgart, PANTOPIA Festival Berlin, FRAU MUSICA NOVA Festival, SPARK Festival Cologne*, and many more.

Alongside her international freelance work, she has been engaged as conductor and assistant to General Music Director André de Ridder at Theater Freiburg since 2023. There, she has served as music director for several operas, including Neuro-Moon (Sara Glojnarić, world premiere), p r i s m (Ellen Reid, world premiere), and Alles durch MOW (Schöllhorn/Koffler, world premiere). She has also conducted productions of Jenůfa (Leoš Janáček), Doctor Atomic (John Adams), Alcina (Georg Friedrich Händel), and Pique Dame (Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky), as well as symphony concerts and numerous family concerts.

Scheunchen has been involved in more than 350 world premieres and collaborates with many contemporary composers. Her conducting is closely intertwined with her interest in curating and different concert formats. She founded Ensemble Scope for interdisciplinary projects. Since 2021, she has been supported by the Deutscher Musikrat – Forum Dirigieren and was admitted to its prestigious “Konzertförderung” program in 2023. From 2021 to 2023, she held a scholarship at the Akademie Musiktheater heute. In 2024, she received the Reinhold-Schneider-scholarship from the City of Freiburg.

At the Hochschule für Musik Freiburg, she leads the master’s program in New Music Interpretation and directs the Contemporary Music Ensemble.

//Ensemble Modern, Stuttgarter Philharmoniker (debut 2026), Göttinger Symphonieorchester, Ensemble Musikfabrik, Klangforum Wien (debut 2027, Konzerthaus Wien) Ensemble Recherche, Ensemble Resonanz, Philharmonisches Orchester Trier, Philharmonisches Orchester Freiburg, Blackpage Orchestra, Bundesjugendorchester, SWR Vokalensemble, Junge Deutsche Philharmonie, WDR Rundfunkchor (Forum Dirigieren), Ensemble Ascolta, Schlagquartett Köln and many more.

//Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, Harvard (Cambridge, USA), Taschenopernfestival Salzburg, Konzerthaus Wien, Wittener Tage für Neue Kammermusik, Laeiszhalle Hamburg, Oper Frankfurt, Moers Festival, Festspielhaus Baden Baden, impuls Festival Graz, Lokhalle Göttingen, Donaueschinger Musiktage, WDR Funkhaus, Gare du Nord Basel, Davos Festival, Podium Festival Esslingen, Frankfurt LAB, Konzerthaus Freiburg, Baden Baden Pfingstfestspiele, FRAU* MUSICA NOVA FESTIVAL, SPARK Festival Köln, Bludenzer Tage zeitgemäßer Musik, Museum Tinguely Basel, ORF Studios, ECLAT Festival, PANTOPIA FESTIVAL Berlin, and many more.

// Akademie Musiktheater heute 2021-2023

// 'Konzertförderung' Forum Dirigieren (Deutscher Musikrat) since 2021

//2024: Stipend of Reinhold-Schneider Preis by the city of Freiburg

//Founder, co-curator and conductor of Ensemble Scope for intermedial projects.

//University of music Freiburg: leader of the masters studies 'Interpretation Contemporary Music', conductor of Ensemble for contemporary music and teacher for new chamber music

//masterclasses + assistances with: Peter Rundel, Johannes Schlaefli, Christoph Altstaedt, Bas Wiegers, Yuval Weinberg, Georg Grün, Manfred Schreier, Tilman Michael, Sebastian Tewinkel, and many more