Jascha von der Goltz

German conductor Jascha von der Goltz gained international attention as the First Prize winner of the 8th International Panula Conducting Competition in 2021 and previously for his Second Prize at the 2019 International Conducting Competition “Jeunesse Musicale” in Bucharest. He began his conducting studies in Germany before embarking on a year-long exchange programme at the Norwegian Academy of Music under Ole Kristian Ruud where, in addition to exploring his Norwegian roots, Jascha nurtured his passion for Nordic classical music and its influences. He served as Assistant Conductor of the Orchestra Musikkollegium Winterthur (2021 – 2023) under the mentorship of Roberto Gonzalez-Monjas, and in 2023 graduated from the Masters of Orchestral Conducting programme at the Zürcher Hochschule der Künste under the tutelage of Prof. Johannes Schlaefi. 

As Assistant Conductor with the Orchestra Musikkollegium Winterthur, Jascha conducted programmes including music by G. Donizetti, Franz von Suppé and P. Mascagni (Overtures Don Pasquale, Light Cavalry, Intermezzo Cavalleria Rusticana), a production of Stravinsky’s A Soldier’s Tale with actor Graham F. Valentine, as well as a highly acclaimed performance of Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite and Ravel’s Ballet Ma mère l’oye for which Jascha received praise for his „sensitive touch and insight for the two complex and magnificent scores by Maurice Ravel and Igor Stravinsky, which challenged the orchestra's musical potential and placed it in the limelight“ [Landbote].  

Jascha’s most recent highlights include returns to Orchestra Musikkollegium Winterthur, the SWR Symphonieorchester Stuttgart and Filarmonica de Stat Targu Mures in Romania, and debuts with the RTV Slovenian Radio Symphony Orchestra, St. Gallen Symphony Orchestra, and Kymi Sinfonietta and Vaasa City Orchestra in Finland. In 24/25 season Jascha is looking forward to debuting with the Strasbourg Philharmonic, Sofia Philharmonic, Oulu Sinfonia and at the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival with Kyiv Symphony, in addition to returns to Transylvania State Philharmonic Orchestra, Kymi Sinfonietta and Nordic Wind Chamber Orchestra.

Jascha has attended masterclasses with esteemed conductors such as Paavo Järvi, Vasily Petrenko, Jaap Van Zweden, Manuel Hernandez Silva and Nicolás Pasquet, and worked with orchestras such as MDR Symphony Leipzig, Stavanger Symphony Orchestra, Malaga Philharmonic Orchestra, Stuttgarter Philharmoniker and Württembergisches Kammerorchester Heilbronn.  

Born in Freiburg into family of early music specialists, Jascha started playing the cello at the age of 6 and soon after picked up the piano and the percussion, what led him to performances with orchestras such as Freiburger Barockorchester in venues like Berliner Philharmonie, Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico, and Festival d’Aix en Provence.