CON
DUCTOR
> friederike kienle
Renowned for her bold projects that transcend the mainstream, German conductor Friederike Kienle has established herself as a versatile and innovative force in the world of classical music. Her distinguished career includes conducting numerous prestigious German orchestras such as the Munich Symphony Orchestra, the SWR Symphony Orchestra, the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra, the Württemberg Philharmonic Orchestra Reutlingen, the Stuttgart Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Southwest German Philharmonic Orchestra Konstanz. Her expertise has also been showcased internationally, with orchestral and operatic engagements in the USA, Bulgaria, and Japan.
In 2020, Kienle founded Ensemble Balance in Stuttgart, Germany. With this ensemble, she recorded an arrangement of Bruckner’s 7th Symphony for eleven instruments, set to be released by Hänssler Classics in 2025. Her innovative work with ENSEMBLE BALANCE has earned her a “Neustart Kultur” scholarship from the federal government and additional grants from the Ministry of Baden-Württemberg to support artistic practice.
Kienle is deeply committed to music education and cultural participation. She passionately advocates for young audiences and champions diversity in art and culture. Her repertoire includes works by female composers, non-European composers, and composers of color, who are often underrepresented in the concert scene. In 2025, the CAPRICCIO label released a CD featuring works by Israeli composer Paul Ben-Haim, recorded alongside Israeli-Portuguese cellist Ofer Canetti and the Württembergische Philharmonie Reutlingen.
Kienle’s training includes studies with Prof. Tetsuya Shimono in Tokyo and a master’s degree under Prof. Rasmus Baumann at the HMDK in Stuttgart. She has participated in master classes with renowned conductors such as Kurt Masur, Roberto Rizzi Brignoli, Ana Zorana Brajovic, and Stefan Blunier. Beyond her conducting career, Kienle is also an accomplished cellist, having performed worldwide with orchestras in Germany and Japan, recorded numerous CDs, and led the cello class at Hokkaido University of Education in Sapporo, Japan, for a decade. Since 2021 she has been artistic director of the innovative BALANCE concert series in Berger Kirche, Stuttgart. Since 2025 she has been editor at SWR Kultur Musik.
— ENSEMBLE BALANCE
The synergy that arises when 13 highly motivated musicians connect with enthusiasm can be magical. The ENSEMBLE BALANCE combines musicians from the renowned Stuttgart orchestras with freelance international colleagues at the highest artistic level.
In 2020, Friederike Kienle founded ENSEMBLE BALANCE in Stuttgart, which she has conducted and artistically directed ever since. In 2020, they recorded an arrangement of Bruckner’s Symphony No. 7 for 11 instruments with the ensemble for the SWR. This was followed by live streams of symphonic, education and opera programs with the wordsmith Timo Brunke. Her work with Ensemble Balance earned her the Neustart Kultur scholarship along with grants to promote artistic endeavours from the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Science, Research and Arts.
In 2021, Friederike Kienle and the musicians of Ensemble Balance launched the innovative BALANCE concert series in the cultural community space of the Berger Kirche in Stuttgart. The concert series is striking due to the modern format of its concerts, uniting artists, audiences, young talent and social interaction – a place for dialogue with and about music, and for all generations from all social backgrounds.
