My path led from the orchestra to the conductor's podium and ultimately to artistic leadership.
This unconventional journey shapes my approach: As a former orchestral musician, I know how an ensemble functions from within. As a conductor, I use this knowledge not to dictate, but to inspire. And as Artistic Operations Director, I understand the structures that enable artistic excellence.
I feel at home at the intersection of art and organization. This combination is rare—and it's precisely what defines my approach.
My consulting is based on three perspectives I've lived throughout my career:
🎻 The Musician: 15+ years of orchestral experience as a violinist in Austrian and German ensembles. I know audition processes, orchestral dynamics, and artistic development from the inside.
→ I know what it feels like to sit in the orchestra.
🎼 The Conductor: Active conductor with international experience in Austria, Germany, Romania, Bulgaria and Serbia. Repertoire from Classical to Late Romantic periods, with a focus on symphonic works and opera productions.
→ I understand artistic leadership, rehearsal processes, and programming.
🎭 The Manager: Artistic Operations Director at Brandenburg Theater, responsible for scheduling, operations, and strategic development. Previous positions: - Orchestra Director, Landestheater Detmold (2022-23) - Festspiele Erl (2017-2022).
Education: - Master's candidate in Cultural & Media Management (University of Music and Theatre Hamburg) - Master's thesis: AI-supported scheduling in German theater operations
→ I know the institutional side: budgets, contracts, processes, transformation.
Professional Journey
Matija Matijević's musical journey began in Zagreb, continued in Belgrade and Niš, where he completed both the Music Gymnasium and the Natural Sciences-Mathematics Gymnasium. He pursued violin studies at the Music Academy in Zagreb while studying parallel with renowned violinist Juriy Korchinskiy.
In 2005, he moved to Vienna to deepen his studies, where he served as concertmaster of the second violins in the Pro Arte Orchestra and later as a member of the first violins in the Orchestra Baden bei Wien. During this period, he broadened his perspective through interdisciplinary studies in economics and Japanese studies, while working with conductors including Fabio Luisi, Bertrand de Billy, Michael Güttler, Lothar Zagrosek, Mark Stringer, Johannes Wildner, and Uroš Lajović.
As a freelance musician, he performed throughout Europe and the Far East with ensembles including the Wiener Symphonietta, Wiener Kammerorchester and Philharmonie der Nationen.
In 2012, he joined the Festspiele Erl orchestra in Tyrol under Maestro Gustav Kuhn. After five years as an orchestral musician, he was invited to serve as orchestra manager and musical assistant, working on productions including Wagner, Mozart, Rossini, Verdi, and Puccini operas and alongside a significant amount of orchestral repertoire.
2017 marked his transition to conducting. He assisted on productions of Wilhelm Tell, Parsifal, and Ermione, and began guest conducting engagements. His orchestral expertise and artistic foundation became the cornerstone of his conducting approach. An opportunity to prepare the orchestra for Justus Frantz at the prestigious Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival further accelerated his development.
Guest conducting engagements have taken him to Germany (Düsseldorf, Neumünster), Croatia (Dubrovnik), Bulgaria(Plovdiv), Romania(Pitesti) and Serbia (Niš Symphony Orchestra), where his professional journey began. He has also conducted the Con Fuoco ensemble in Graz Philharmonie Concert Hall, and Brandenburg Symphony Orchestra. Upcoming projects include concerts in Poland, Austria, and Bulgaria.
From 2020-21, Matijević served as musical coordinator and assistant of Maestro Kuhn at the Accademia di Montegral in Lucca, Italy. In 2022-23, he was Orchestra Director at Landestheater Detmold.
He is currently completing his Master's in Cultural & Media Management at the Institute for Cultural and Media Management, University of Music and Theatre Hamburg, with a thesis on AI-supported scheduling in German theater operations.
In 2023, he was appointed Artistic Operations Director at Brandenburg Theater, where he oversees artistic scheduling, operations, and strategic development with a focus on digitalization and AI integration.
Parallel to his institutional role, Matijević works as an artist consultant and maintains an active conducting career. His unique approach to music stems from his unconventional professional path, comprehensive knowledge, and continuous development across performance, leadership, and management.
