The qualities that make Christian Zacharias one of the world’s most celebrated pianists have enabled him also to make his mark as a conductor, festival director, musical thinker, writer, and broadcaster: integrity married to individualism; deep musical insight matched by a sure poetic instinct; a brilliance in communication; a charismatic and commanding platform manner.

He made his name first as a pianist, and continues to appear in concerto and recital worldwide. His career to date has also been distinguished by a small number of important chamber music relationships with esteemed colleagues including the Alban Berg Quartet, the Leipziger String Quartet, Heinrich Schiff, and Frank Peter Zimmermann.

This tendency to embark on long musical journeys with kindred spirits is reflected also in his work as conductor. Since 2000 Zacharias has been Principal Conductor of the Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne and with them he made a number of critically acclaimed recordings, including works by Mozart, Schumann, Chopin, and Michael Haydn. Especially notable is their ongoing complete cycle of Mozart’s piano concertos. Volume III won an ECHO Classic 2008, and Volume IV both the Diapason d’Or and Choc du Monde de la Musique. The most recently released Volume V (Piano Concertos K 175, 246, and 488) has also been awarded the ECHO Classic 2010.
Zacharias has also been Principal Guest Conductor of the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra since the 2002/03 season, and in 2009 he became an “Artistic Partner” of the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra. Additionally, he enjoys long-term relationships with many other orchestras such as Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, New York Philharmonic Orchestra, and Scottish Chamber Orchestra with whom he appears as a regular guest. Most recently he has embarked on an operatic career with productions of two very different works: Mozart’s opera seria “La Clemenza di Tito” (Geneva) and Offenbach’s Opéra bouffe “La Belle Hélène”.

Zacharias’ career has been marked by many awards and prizes, including, recently, the 2007 Midem Classical Award “Artist of the Year” in Cannes. After having been awarded for his services to the culture in Rumania in 2009, Christian Zacharias has recently been bestowed the higly honourable title of a "Officier dans l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres" by the French state. Since 2011 Christian Zacharias has been professor for orchestra playing at the Academy of Music and Drama Gothenburg.

On the occasion of his 60th birthday, 2010, the Alte Oper Frankfurt arranged an "Artist's Portrait" of Christian Zacharias, which presented him as pianist, conductor, chamber musician, and as Lied accompanist with five concerts and three films. Renowned ensembles and colleagues appeared alongside him: he conducted the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra and the Opern- und Museumsorchester Frankfurt. In autumn 2011 he conducts a new production of La Nozze di Figaro at the Opéra Liège. Further conduct/play engagements lead him to the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, The Hague Philharmonic, the Barcelona Symphony Orchestra and Gürzenich Orchester Köln as well as to the Konzerthausorchester Berlin. In the Avery Fisher Hall he performs Beethoven’s piano concerto No. 4 and Brahms’ piano concerto No. 2 together with the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Jonathan Nott. Additionally he plays a few recitals in season 2011/12. Moreover, he is reinvited to conduct the Orchestre National de Lyon. Throughout the season, he also continues his close artistic cooperation with the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, 0rchestre de Chambre de Lausanne, and with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra.