Sebastian Lang-Lessing studied conducting at the Hamburg State Conservatory and Piano at State Conservatories in Essen and Lübeck. Very early he participated in many international master classes, where he also worked with Leonard Bernstein, who encouraged the young conductor to go the "German way". After being awarded the Ferenc Fricsay Prize 1990 in Berlin he worked as assistant conductor to Gerd Albrecht at Hamburg State Opera, later as First Kapellmeister at Rostock Opera.

Götz Friedrich invited him to conduct at the Deutsche Oper Berlin, where he was offered the position as Resident conductor after his sensational debut in 1993, where he worked until 2001. He conducted 50 performances each season including many new productions and revivals. He was able to build a wide repertoire and had the chance to work with most of the world’s great singers. He also conducted Götz Friedrich's last production in Berlin.

Maestro Lang-Lessing works regularly at San Francisco Opera, Houston Grand Opera and gave his successful debut at Los Angeles Opera in 2007. He will conduct a new production of Falstaff in Italy with Ruggiero Raimondi in 2008. His international career began in Paris at the Opéra Bastille, where he returned after his debut for several more productions. Invitations to Hamburg State Opera, Opéra de Bordeaux, Stockholm Royal Opera, Gothenburg Opera, Oslo Opera and others followed.

Sebastian Lang-Lessing has led major orchestras all over the world, including: the Orchestre de Paris, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Orchestre du Capitole de Toulouse, Orchestre de l' Opéra de Lyon, Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg, Orchestre Philharmonique de Luxembourg, Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, the Radio Orchestras of Berlin, Frankfurt, and Saarbrücken. He also conducts an annual Season in Sydney with his Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra. The TSO visited Japan in 2006 and he will bring them to Europe in 2009.

Maestro Lang-Lessing has an extensive discography in addition to his extensive performance career. His 2006 recordings of the symphonies by Guy Ropartz (to be completed in 2009) received rave reviews, and were awarded many prizes. In 2006 he released the four Schumann symphonies and is currently recording the complete Mendelssohn symphonies with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra (ABC Classics). In 2008 a CD with works by Australian composer Brett Dean will also be released.