+++ Study Information Days 2026 for many of our studies: all dates can be found in the event calendar! +++
Ion Marin has been Professor of Conducting at the Mozarteum University in Salzburg since 2020 and is Artistic Director of the university symphony orchestra. In autumn 2025, he expanded this role role to include the artistic direction of the Academy Orchestra, which he had already played a decisive role in founding in 2021.
Ion Marin is one of the few conductors with an international reputation in both symphonic music and opera. He is a regular guest at the world’s leading opera houses—including the Metropolitan Opera, Teatro alla Scala, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Bayerische Staatsoper, and the Opéra National de Paris—and has conducted all the major European orchestras, including the Berlin Philharmonic, the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, the Staatskapelle Dresden, the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, the London Symphony Orchestra, the Philharmonia Orchestra, the Orchestre National de France, the Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, and the St Petersburg Philharmonic. He also performs regularly in Japan, conducting the NHK Symphony Orchestra and the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra. In 2019, he was appointed Artistic Director of the newly formed European Union Philharmonic Orchestra.
In the 2019/20 season, he worked with Lang Lang, the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, and jazz pianist Chick Corea. He has also performed with the Orchestre National de France, the St Petersburg Philharmonic, and the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra. Since the 2014/15 season, he has been Principal Guest Conductor of the Hamburger Symphoniker.
His discography of over 40 recordings, released by Deutsche Grammophon, Decca, EMI, Sony, and Philips, has earned him three Grammy nominations, the Diapason d’Or, and the German Record Critics’ Award. Recent releases include the Waldbühne Concert with Renée Fleming and the Berlin Philharmonic, Beethoven’s Violin Concerto with David Garrett and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and Bruch’s Violin Concertos with Guy Braunstein and the Bamberg Symphony. In 2012, he received the ECHO Klassik Award in the bestseller category.
Ion Marin is known for his creative, engaging, and innovative programming, as well as for the breadth of his repertoire, encompassing both symphonic and vocal works. Most recently, he has performed with the London Symphony Orchestra, the St Petersburg Philharmonic, and the Radio Symphony Orchestra Berlin, with programmes focusing on the music of Gustav Mahler. He performs regularly with leading soloists including Martha Argerich, Yo-Yo Ma, Frank Peter Zimmermann, Maxim Vengerov, Gidon Kremer, Hélène Grimaud, Plácido Domingo, and Angela Gheorghiu. He has also worked with Isaac Stern, Mstislav Rostropovich, and Alexis Weissenberg.
Born in Romania, Ion Marin studied composition, piano, and conducting at the George Enescu Music Academy and at the Mozarteum University Salzburg. He also studied philosophy and the history of religion. In 1986, he became resident conductor of the Vienna State Opera and worked closely with Claudio Abbado during his tenure (1987–1991). During this time, he collaborated with renowned singers including Luciano Pavarotti, Agnes Baltsa, Hermann Becht, Nicolai Ghiaurov, Giuseppe Taddei, Edita Gruberová, Gundula Janowitz, Mirella Freni, and José Carreras. Collaborations with Herbert von Karajan and Carlos Kleiber also enriched his artistic development.
In 2012, he initiated the projects Cantus Mundi and Symphonia Mundi, dedicated to the education and social integration of disadvantaged children through music. He lives with his wife and son in Lugano, Switzerland.
