Markus Stenz is a German conductor. He studied at the Hochschule f�r Musik K�ln with Volker Wangenhein and at Tanglewood with Leonard Bernstein and Seiji Ozawa. Stenz has served as Artistic Director of the Montepulciano Festival, and Principal Conductor of the London Sinfonietta. In Australia, from 1998 to 2004, he was Artistic Director and Chief Conductor of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, which he took on their first European tour in 2000. Stenz is known for his championing of contemporary composers, which included the appointment of Brett Dean as the MSO's composer-in-residence in 2001. Since the 2003-2004 season, Stenz has held the position of Principal Conductor of the G�rzenich Orchestra. During his tenure, beginning in October 2005, concerts of the G�rzenich Orchestra are recorded live on their own label "GO live!" and made available within 5 minutes of the end of the concert the same night for purchase by audience members. Stenz conducted the G�rzenich Orchestra's first concert appearance at The Proms in August 2008. He is scheduled to conclude his G�rzenich tenure in 2014. 

February 28th, 1965 in Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler (Age 59)