Frank Cramer was born in Essen, Germany, were he studied
conducting at the Folkwang University of the Arts. He completed
his studies at the University for Music in Hamburg with Horst Stein.
After his first engagement at the State Theater in Oldenburg, he
performed at the Theatre of Würzburg in the position of the vize
principal conductor from 1980-88. In result of his celebrated
success with Verdis Aida in the Arena Sferisterio di Macerata in
1989, Frank Cramer has been invited to concert halls and opera
houses throughout Europe, ( a.o. Vienna, Zurich, Basel, Bern,
Budapest, Florence, Turin, Genoa, Sevilla, Berlin, Dresden,
Cologne, Hamburg, Düsseldorf - Duisburg) the USA, Eastern Asia
and South Africa. His broad repertoire ranges from Mozarts’ Le
Nozze di Figaro to Wagners’ Tristan und Isolde and Strauss'
Salome to Bergs’ Wozzeck.
In concerts Frank Cramer favors the composers Beethoven,
Mozart, Mahler and particulary Bruckner. Further more devotes
himself to non-main stream composers, like the late romantics
Zemlinsky, Korngold and Nielsen or composers like Messiaen,
Lutoslawski, Schönberg, Berg and Webern. Frank Cramer has
been invited to many Festivals such as the Biennale Munich, the
Budapest Spring Festival (Hungarian National Philharmony)
and the renowned Tongyeong International Music Festival
in South-Korea. Numerous radio- and television productions
for the West German Radio, the Bavarian Radio, the ZDF,
the Swiss Radio DRS, the Radiotelevisione Italiana (the RAI
National Symphony Orchestra Turin) and the MDR Leipzig
show his artistic work. For the CD Label Dacapo, Frank
Cramer conducted the complete symphonies of the Danish
late-romantic composer Ludolf Nielsen with the Bamberg
Symphony Orchestra and the Danish Philharmonic Orchestra.
From 1988 to 2009 Frank Cramer worked as professor for
conducting at the University of Music Karlsruhe | Germany.
In 2009 he is nominated as professor for opera and music theatre
at the University of Music and Dramatic Arts in Graz | Austria.
In 2008/09 among others he gave his debut at the Semper Opera
Dresden, as well as with the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra and
conducted symphony concerts in Germany, Austria, Italy and
South-Korea.
2010 he conducted the Korean first night of Alban Berg's Lulu at
the Korean National Opera at the Seoul Arts Center. This was
broadcasted by the KBS.
In 2011 Frank Cramer will record works of the Danish composer
Finn HØffding with the Jena Philharmonic Orchestra on CD for the
label Dacapo and, among others, direct symphony concerts in
Germany and Austria. Frank Cramer resides in Munich and Graz.