One of Europe's most respected French-German cellists, conductors, and artistic directors, Altstaedt's field of activity is exceptionally broad. He performs both early and contemporary music, on both historical and modern instruments. As an interpreter of contemporary music, he has collaborated with composers such as Thomas Adès, Jörg Widmann, and Sofia Gubaidulina. He has directed the Lockenhaus Chamber Music Festival since 2012 and served for many years as artistic director of the Haydn Philharmonic. Altstaedt regularly performs as a soloist and conductor with leading orchestras such as the Vienna Philharmonic, the London Philharmonic, and the NHK Symphony Orchestra.
As a chamber musician, he has collaborated with Janine Jansen, Vilde Frang, Pekka Kuusisto, and Fazıl Say, among others, and Altstaedt regularly performs at major international festivals such as Salzburg, Verbier, and the BBC Proms.
Altstaedt's recordings have received wide international acclaim, and he has been honored with the BBC Music Magazine Awards, the Credit Suisse Award, and the Beethovenring Bonn, among others.
For his first season in Tapiola, Altstaedt has collaborated with the orchestra's artistic leadership to plan three concert series that showcase his many roles and artistic vision in collaboration with the orchestra. The first concert also opens the orchestra's new Indie concert series. He will perform as a soloist with his other artistic partner, conductor Ryan Bancroft: the artists will meet on stage for the first time in December 2025. In January, the artist will once again take on the roles of both soloist and conductor in his concert. Altstaedt's program includes music by Franz Schubert, Sir William Walton, Dmitri Shostakovich, and Pyotr Tchaikovsky, among others.
The Tapiola Sinfonietta is greatly inspired by Nicolas's wholehearted dedication to music.
