Christian Thielemann (born 1 April 1959) is a German conductor. He is currently chief conductor of the Staatskapelle Dresden. He was artistic director of the Salzburg Easter Festival from 2013 to 2022, and a regular conductor at the Bayreuth Festival. He also makes regular guest appearances with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. In 2020, Thielemann was appointed honorary professor at the Carl Maria von Weber Academy of Music in Dresden.