End of 2007 Karl-Heinz Steffens relinquished as principal clarinet at the Berlin Philharmonic to devote himself to his new task as general music director of the Staatskapelle and Opera Halle in 2008. With the start of the 2009/10 season, Steffens additionally took over a similar position at the Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz in Ludwigshafen.

The desire by the renowned Berlin critic Frederik Hansen of the 'Tagesspiegel' in 2008 came true: "The Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra has been bereaved of one of their most remarkable instrumentalists ? the music world has won a Maestro burning for action. We hope to hear from him again soon!" Indeed, Karl-Heinz Steffens conducting career has developed at remarkable speed. He has already been re-invited by orchestras like Bamberg Symphony, the Radio Symphony Orchestras of Berlin (RSB), Cologne (WDR), Frankfurt (HR) and Leipzig (MDR) and Dresden Philharmonic and gave his debuts with the Munich Philharmonic, Dusseldorf Symphony, Bochum Symphony, City of Birmingham Symphony, Orchestre National de Belgique, St. Petersburg Symphony and Jerusalem Symphony.

Invitations will also take him to the Bayerisches Staatsorchester Munchen (to one of their rare concerts as one of only four conductors aside Kent Nagano and Zubin Mehta), Philharmonic State Orchestra Hamburg, Bern Symphony, National Symphony Orchestra Taiwan and NHK Symphony Tokyo.

Daniel Barenboim invited Karl-Heinz Steffens to give his official debut at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden Berlin in September 2008 with FIDELIO which resulted in re-invitations for TOSCA in 2009/10 and for TRAVIATA in 2010/11. Barenboim himself appeared as soloist with the Staatskapelle Halle in October 2008, conducted by Steffens. Upon initiation by Steffens, Hansgunther Heyme will stage a new RING between 2010-2013 in Halle and in Ludwigshafen, culminating in a complete cycle in both cities in 2013, conducted all by Steffens.