January Schmidt-Garre studied philosophy at the Hochschule für Philosophie der Jesuiten in Munich from 1982 to 1986 (M A with a semiotic thesis on Wagner"s “Ring of the Nibelung”). He also studied feature film direction at Munich"s Hochschule für Fernsehen und Film from 1984 to 1988. He studied conducting and musical theory with Sergiu Celibidache in Mainz, Munich and Paris.
During this time he worked as a trainee and assistant director for, among others, Rudolf Noelte, Jean-Pierre Ponnelle, David Esrig, Joachim Herz and Harry Kupfer (at the Salzburg Festival, the Bayreuth Festival, the Metropolitan Opera in New York and at the Dresden Opera). In 1988 he founded PARS MEDIA, a production company whose films have received international acclaim for its documentary and feature films focusing on music and the arts PARS MEDIA productions have been awarded numerous prizes worldwide, among them the main prizes at the film festivals in Chicago, Paris, Monte Carlo, Columbus/Ohio, Munich and Prague as well as a nomination for the German Film Award.
PARS MEDIA films have been broadcast in over thirty countries, many have been distributed theatrically and appeared on Laser Disc, VHS and Digital Video Disc. At Saint Gallen Opera he recently staged Massenet"s Manon and Korngold"s Die tote Stadt.
They have two children and live in Berlin. Belorussian Canto - an Idea Comes of Age Celibidache"s Presence of Mind Documents and Artefacts Interview: My Life in Music.
Schmidt-Garre, a member of the German Film Academy, lectures on directing and aesthetics at (among others) the HFF in Munich and the Athanor Academy for Theater and Film in Burghausen.
