| Justus FrantzMusical DirectorJustus Frantz - A life in music Justus Frantz - a name which is immediately associated with great orchestras and absolute dedication to music. For thirty years, Justus Frantz has been internationally successful as a pianist and conductor. He has rendered outstanding services to classical music on many occasions. Time and again, he has discovered and supported young musical talent. Therefore, in many countries on the Philharmonia of the Nations tour, auditions are a fixed item on his agenda - an excellent opportunity for young musicians worldwide to start a career in music. A young talent is discovered Justus Frantz began his extraordinary musical career in 1967, when he won an international music competition on a famous German television station. He began playing the piano at the age of four. Early on, Professor Eliza Hansen recognized and fostered his talent. Studies of conducting in the master class held by Wilhelm Kempff contributed to his state of the art musical education. At the age of 23, Justus Frantz was one of the youngest artists ever to be granted a scholarship by the Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes (German National Scholarship Foundation). Herbert von Karajan and Leonard Bernstein prepared the way for his further musical career In 1970, Justus Frantz rose into the group of first-class pianists with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Herbert von Karajan. He celebrated his US debut five years later with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Leonard Bernstein, whose musical ideals he continues to adhere to. Bernstein's dream of an international, young and professional orchestra inspired Justus Frantz to found the Philharmonia of the Nations in 1995. Many awards distinguish his excellent work Justus Frantz always succeeds in getting his music across to a broad audience in an unconventional manner. In 1986, he founded the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival and was its director for nine years turning it into one of the world's greatest music festivals. He has been awarded several television prizes of high prestige for the highly successful TV programmes that he has produced. Since 1989, Justus Frantz has been a special ambassador for the UN High Commission for Refugees and in the same year he received the German equivalent to the OBE, the Grosse Bundesverdienstkreuz. Justus Frantz is the chief conductor of the Philharmonia of the Nations and works on a regular basis with renowned orchestras all over the world, such as the Orchestra of the Mariinsky-Kirov Theatre in St. Petersburg, the China Philharmonic Orchestra, the Great Symphony Orchestra Moscow, the KZN Philharmonic Orchestra Durban, the Georgian Chamber Orchestra and the Sinfonia Varsovia | |