Gabriel Feltz, Chief Conductor of Belgrade Philharmonic, Dies at 54
Belgrade, Serbia – Gabriel Feltz, the celebrated conductor and General Music Director of the Kiel Theater, has died unexpectedly at the age of 54. He passed away on August 29, 2025, at the University Hospital in Essen, Germany, leaving a important void in the international classical music community.
Feltz’s sudden death represents a profound loss for the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra, were he served as Chief Conductor, and for Serbian culture as a whole. His passing cuts short ambitious plans at the Kiel Theater and silences a musician lauded for his “unwavering passion and exceptional musicality.” The Belgrade Philharmonic will open a condolence book on Monday at 10 AM at Studentski trg 11.A versatile and internationally recognized conductor, Feltz held numerous prominent positions throughout his career. He previously served as General Music Director of the dortmund Opera and Chief Conductor of the Dortmund Philharmonic Orchestra, and was principal guest conductor at the Theater Basel from 2008-2013.
Feltz’s conducting engagements spanned leading opera houses and orchestras worldwide,including the Prague State Opera,Komische Oper Berlin,Bayerische Staatsoper,Zurich Opera,Staatskapelle Dresden,BRSO Munich,DSO Berlin,and the Bamberger Symphoniker. He was also known for his complete recordings of the Mahler Symphonies wiht the Philharmonic Orchestras from Stuttgart and Dortmund.
The kiel Theater released a statement expressing their grief, noting, “gabriel Feltz was a conductor with unwavering passion and exceptional musicality. He had great plans for Kiel, and it is tragic that he was no longer able to realise them. We pay tribute to his life’s work and mourn the loss of a friend and colleague. Our thoughts are with his wife and children.” The Belgrade Philharmonic echoed this sentiment, stating the loss was “an immeasurable loss…to Serbian culture as a whole.”