The conductor Walter Althammer completed his studies with distinction at the academy of music in Munich with Prof. Hermann Michael. He participated in master classes with Leonard Bernstein, Sergiu Celibidache and Kurt Masur. As assistant he worked regularly with Hartmut Haenchen, Bernard Haitink, Riccardo Chailly and Kent Nagano.
His engagements as coach and conductor have so far included the Bayerische Staatsoper, the Stadttheater Dortmund and the Städtische Bühnen Münster. From 1992 until 1996 he was the Chief-Conductor and music director of the Hoofdstad Operette Amsterdam. From 1997 until 2000 he has been Chief-Conductor and Artistic Advisor of the International Danube Opera, an opera company with which he performed operas by Bizet, Verdi and Puccini. In 2001 he gave his debut in Italy with the opera Il Matrimonio Segreto, in 2003 his debut in Los Angeles, USA with Orfeo ed Euridice by C. W. Gluck, in 2010 his debut in Toulouse, France with Elektra by R. Strauss and in 2014 his debut in Madrid, Spain with Lohengrin by R. Wagner. From October 2013 until October 2015 he was teaching as Professor in the position of music director of the singing departement at the "Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Frankfurt am Main".
Walter Althammer has been engaged as a guest conductor at several opera houses including Bayerischen Staatsoper München, Opernhaus Bonn, Muziektheater Amsterdam, Stadttheater St. Gallen, Semperoper Dresden, Komische Oper Berlin, Deutsche Oper am Rhein Düsseldorf. He has also conducted symphonic concerts with a.o. Limburgs Symphonie Orkest, the Noord Nederlands Orkest and the Nürnberger Symphoniker. Apart from directing the Stravinsky Ensemble, which he founded in 1996, he also regularly conducts concerts and produces CDs for contemporary music with the ASKO Ensemble and the Barton Workshop.