Guest engagements take Michael Sanderling to leading orchestras worldwide. In recent seasons he has appeared with the Berliner Philharmoniker, WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln, SWR Symphonieorchester, Tonhalle Orchester Zürich, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Orchestre de Paris, NHK Symphony Orchestra and Toronto Symphony Orchestra. He enjoys a particularly close and regular collaboration with the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig and Konzerthausorchester Berlin.

In addition to his engagements in Lucerne, the 2021/22 season sees Michael Sanderling appear with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano Giuseppe Verdi, Orquestra Sinfónica do Porto, Iceland Symphony Orchestra, Frankfurter Museumsorchester, Konzerthausorchester Berlin and Gürzenich Orchester Köln, among others. In the US, he makes his debut with the Seattle Symphony Orchestra.

From 2011 to 2019, Michael Sanderling was Principal Conductor of the Dresdner Philharmonie. During his tenure he distinguished the orchestra as one of Germany's foremost ensembles, leading the musicians in a wide variety of concert formats in Dresden and on numerous international tours. The recordings of the complete symphonies of Beethoven and Shostakovich for Sony Classical document this special collaboration. Sanderling held his first principal position with the Kammerakademie Potsdam, as Artistic Director from 2006 to 2011.

Michael Sanderling’s discography includes recordings of the core works of Dvořák, Schumann, Prokofiev, Tchaikovsky, and the complete symphonies of Beethoven and Shostakovich. Most recently, a recording of piano works by Hummel, Weber and Mendelssohn with Matthias Kirschnereit and the hr-Sinfonieorchester Frankfurt was released by Berlin Classics.

In the opera pit, Michael Sanderling’s previous appearances include a new production of Sergei Prokofiev's War and Peace at Oper Köln.

In 1987, at the age of 20, Michael Sanderling was appointed principal cellist of the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig under Kurt Masur, and from 1994 to 2006 he held the same position with the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin.

Michael Sanderling is a passionate supporter of the next generation of young musicians. He teaches at the Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst in Frankfurt am Main, and regularly works with the Bundesjugendorchester, Junge Deutsche Philharmonie and Schleswig-Holstein Festival Orchestra. Together with the Luzerner Sinfonieorchester he will continue and strengthen the collaboration with the Lucerne School of Music.