About
Biography
Koen Schoots is a conductor, arranger and orchestrator. Born and educated in the Netherlands, his work spans the worlds of classical and popular music.
After finishing his studies in conducting, piano and voice at the Conservatory of Maastricht in 1984, he worked as a conductor and coach for the theaters in Linz, Klagenfurt and Gelsenkirchen.
From 1992 he broadened his repertoire and field of work, becoming musical director for various commercial musical theaters, such as CATS and THE BUDDY HOLLY STORY (both in Hamburg) and JEKYLL & HYDE (European premiere) in Bremen and Cologne, while continuing to conduct classical repertoire.
From 2003 to 2005 he worked as a conductor for the Deutsche Oper am Rhein in Düsseldorf and Duisburg, and from 2004 to 2010 he served as chief conductor of the Opernfestspiele St. Margarethen (Austria).
He established close relationships with the Komische Oper Berlin and Barrie Kosky (2004) and with Konzert und Theater St. Gallen (2005) — relationships that continue to this day.
For the Komische Oper he served as musical director for SWEENEY TODD (2004-05, returning in 2027), KISS ME, KATE (2008-2015), IM WEISSEN RÖSSL (2010-11), WEST SIDE STORY (2013-), FIDDLER ON THE ROOF (2017-), LA CAGE AUX FOLLES (2023-), the children’s opera DIE ZAUBERMELODIKA (2021-22) and the operettas DIE BLUME VON HAWAII (2021) and MARINKA (2016), as well as the highly acclaimed production of JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR (2025) in the hangar of the former Tempelhof Airport.
In St. Gallen he conducted and supervised numerous productions, starting with LES MISÉRABLES (2007-08 and 2023-2024), HELLO DOLLY (2019), REBECCA (2012) and the world premiere productions of DRACULA (2005), THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO (2009), XCALIBUR (2014), DON CAMILLO AND PEPPONE (2016), MATTERHORN (2018), DESERT FLOWER (2020), LADY BESS (2022) and EINSTEIN — A MATTER OF TIME (2025).
From 2010 to 2018 he was music director for musical theater at the Vereinigte Bühnen in Vienna, the most prestigious musical theater company in the German-speaking world, with two theaters and an orchestra of 84. He conducted all musical premieres, such as TANZ DER VAMPIRE, SISTER ACT, ELISABETH, MOZART!, LEGALLY BLONDE, MARY POPPINS, MAMMA MIA!, EVITA and SCHIKANEDER (world premiere), as well as concert productions of JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, LOVE NEVER DIES, MESSIAH ROCKS and numerous galas and other events. He also conducted the Japanese tour of ELISABETH in Osaka and Tokyo.
For Broadway composer FRANK WILDHORN he serves as arranger, orchestrator, musical supervisor and conductor in Europe and Asia. In this capacity he conducted the world premieres of DRACULA (St. Gallen), RUDOLF (Budapest, Vienna, Tokyo, Seoul), THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO (St. Gallen, Seoul), XCALIBUR (St. Gallen, revised in Seoul), CARMEN (Prague) and EINSTEIN — A MATTER OF TIME (St. Gallen), as well as the world premieres of the Donau Symphony at the Musikverein in Vienna and the Odessa Symphony, performed open air in Ulm with the Wiener Symphoniker. He also wrote, performed and recorded three symphonic suites from Wildhorn’s musicals DRACULA, XCALIBUR and EINSTEIN — all three recorded with the Vienna Independent Orchestra, an ensemble of the finest musicians of the Vienna Philharmonic and the Vienna Symphony. The next project will be the world premiere of ORLANDO, after Virginia Woolf’s novel, opening on December 17th, 2027 at the Bühne Baden in Austria.
Since 2024 he has been the conductor of the Greek Symphonic Death Metal Band Septicflesh for their full symphonic live shows — from the Odeon of Herodes Atticus under the Acropolis in Athens to the Ancient Theatre Plovdiv in Bulgaria, with more concerts and projects planned. More about Septicflesh →
In 2018 he and his wife (and their cats) moved to Andalusia, Spain, to enjoy a Mediterranean lifestyle and work as a freelance conductor and arranger from his new home base. He also found a new hobby: he produces his own organic olive oil.
