HANS RICHTER
Principal Guest Conductor
Born in 1950 as a great-grandson of the famous maestro Hans Richter, who has conducted numerous world premieres (for example Richard Wagner's "Ring" in Bayreuth, Brahms Symphony No. 2 and 3, Bruckner's Symphony No. 4 and 8).
After high school graduation studies at the Musikhochschule and the Richard Strauss Conservatory in Munich. Active participant of master classes with Herbert von Karajan, Kurt Masur and Sergiu Celibidache. 1980 winner of the 3rd prize of the International Hungarian Television Conducting Competition in Budapest and winner of the Audience Award. 1980 Prize for Music of the City of Munich and 1982 the State Prize for Music of the Free State of Bavaria.
From 1984 engagement as 1st Kapellmeister at the Stadttheater Biel. 1988 to 1991 conductor and study director at the Zurich Opera House. Guest conductor of many renowned European orchestras for example the Symphony Orchestra of the Bavarian Radio, the Symphony Orchestra of the NDR Hamburg, the Bamberger Sinfoniker, the Symphony Orchestra of the Chicago Lyric Opera, the Symphony Orchestra of the Vancouver Opera and many other well-known orchestral formations. Also guest conductor of the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra in Japan. 1990 he conducted the opening-concert of the "Wiener Festwochen", together with the ingenious Friedrich Gulda.
2007 Premiere Conductor of the International Production "A Night in Venice" by Johann Strauss at the Teatro Verde in Venice, directed by René Kollo. In January 2010 Hans Richter's engagement for 2 concerts in Chicago and Vancouver. 2012 various concert tours (complete cycle "Má vlast" by B. Smetana) and opera premieres: "Manon" by J. Massenet and "Rigoletto" by G. Verdi. From 2012 regular guest at the festival Europäische Wochen in Passau, the cultural summer North Hesse, as well as in Prague, Tabor, Blatná and Strakonice in Czech Republic.
2014: invitation to Japan for a production of "Fledermaus" by Johann Strauss, with the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra and the Kanazawa Chamber Orchestra. June 2014 Guest Conductor at the National Music Festival in USA with the 1st Symphony of P. I. Tchaikovsky.
As the chief-conductor of the Smetana Philharmonic Orchester Prague he is working and conducting in various cultural centers of Europe.
In 2015 (600 years JAN HUS) the orchestra played concerts in major Hussite cities in Germany and in Czech Republic (e.g.: Tabor, Prague).
In 2016 the orchestra and his chiefconductor commemorated Reger's 100th anniversary with concerts in Germany and some of his great works. Also with the seldom played violin concerto, soloist: Benjamin Schmid.
2017 (500 years of reformation) a series of concerts in Germany, also in the baptistery church of J.S.Bach in Eisenach. In addition to works by the giant, the Reformation Symphony of F. Mendelssohn and his 2nd symphonie «Lobgesang»were also performed.
2018: 5th Symphony by P.I.Tchaikovsky (125th anniversary of death) and Metamorphoses and Duet-Concertino for Clar., Fag., Str. and Harp by Richard Strauss (70th anniversary of death in 2019).
2019: Metamorphoses and Duet-Concertino for clar., fag., strings and harp by Richard Strauss (70th anniversary of death).
2020 is all about the celebrations for the 250th birthday of Ludwig van Beethoven.