Conductor
Born in Neunburg vorm Wald in 1950 as a great-grandson of the famous master Hans Richter, who conducted several premieres (for example the opera „The Ring“ from Richard Wagner in Bayreuth, Brahms’ 2nd and 3rd Symphony, Bruckner’s 4th and 8th Symphony). Hans Richter studied at a university of music, after he graduated from grammar school and he also underwent classes with Herbert von Karajan, Kurt Masur and Sergiu Celibidache.
After he finished his studies, he became an assistant of Herbert von Karajan in Salzburg and Berlin. In 1980 he recieved an award at the International Conductor’s Competition of Hungarian television in Budapest and the Prize of Audience.
During the same year he was awarded a Prize of Support of Music of Munich.
In 1984 he became a first conductor of the Municipal Theater in Biel. At that time he was also an assistant with The New York Philharmonic Orchestra and from the year 1988 to 1991 he was working as a conductor and study leader at the opera in Zurich.
As a hosting conductor he cooperated with many renowned orchestras, for example with Bavarian Broadcasting Orchestra, Symphonic Orchestra NDR Hamburg, Bavarian Symphonists and many other well-known institutions. He was also a hosting conductor of Philharmonic Orchestra of Tokyo in Japan.
1990 HR conducted, with the ingenious Friedrich Gulda as soloist, the opening-concert of the „Wiener Festwochen“.
During tours, especially those in Germany, France and Switzerland, Hans Richter lead the Czech and Hungarian orchestras. Among others he directs as chief-conductor the Smetana Philharmonic Orchestra Prague, the West Bohemian Philharmonic Orchestra as well as the Philharmonic of North Bohemia Teplice, Philharmonic Orchestra Budapest, Hungarian Symphonic Orchestra Miskolc, Pannon Philharmonic Orchestra Pecs and Hungarian Philharmonic Orchestra in Györ.
As a musician to the core, he is not only interested in symphonic pieces, but in opera and operetta works as well as in chamber music from the pianists point of view.
Hans Richter is invited to conduct the first night of the International Production of "A night in Venice" of Johann Strauß in the Teatro Verde in Venice. Stage director will be René Kollo and the operette will be played between 18th of may until 23d of may 2007.
January 2010 Hans Richter was invited for 2 concerts in USA and Canada: Vancouver, Orpheum Theatre, Chicago, Symphony Center.
In 2011 HR started a cooperation with Opera Classica Europa and conducted 6 opera productions, 2011 Magic Flute and La Traviata, 2012 Manon (Massenet) and Rigoletto, 2013 Nabucco and Aida with outstanding singers (e.g.: John Osborn – Scala di Milano and Arena di Verona, Ernesto Grisales – Arena di Verona, Keith Ikaia-Purdy and Juri Batukov, Vienna State Opera) on wonderful, historic performance-platforms in Germany, Switzerland and France (e.g.: Kloster Eberbach, Braunfels, Buc/Versailles, Vevey). He also performed Opera Galas (Verdi, Puccini, Massenet, Mozart) and in 2012 in cooperation with the legendary tenor Claude Heater (“Karajan`s Tristan”) and Opera Classica Europa a Wagner-Gala with Juyeon Song and Eduardo Villa (Metropolitan Opera New York). In these productions he conducted his orchestra, the Smetana Philharmonic Orchestra Prague, the Johann Strauß Orchestra Frankfurt and the Orchestra of the Nationaltheatre Constanta.
2012: concerts with SFP and “Ma vlast” from B. Smetana at the Festival “Europäische Wochen Passau” (reinvitation for 2014) and the “Kultursommer” Nordhessen (reinvitation for 2014), also in Czech republic in Blatná.
2013 invitation for several symphonic concerts with compositions of Benjamin Britten (centenary in 2013!).
2014, February: invitation to Japan, production “Fledermaus” of Johann Strauß, with Tokyo Symphony Orchestra and Kanazwa Chamber Orchestra.
2014, June: HR in Chestertown/Maryland at the National Music Festival
2014, June: with SFP at the Festival “Europäische Wochen Passau” (reinvitation for 2016)
Helge Dorsch was born in Penzberg, Germany.
He studied conducting, piano and composition at the Hochschule für Musik in Munich.
He completed master classes in conducting with Prof. Hans Swarowsky in Vienna.
At just 20 years of age he was employed as a solo répétiteur at the Bavarian State Opera in Munich.
This was followed by an engagement as an assistant to Claudio Abbado and Riccardo Muti, among others, at the Salzburg Festival, at the Bayreuth Festival and as a Studienleiter at the Bregenz Festival, at the Opéra Bastille in Paris and at the Metropolitan Opera in New York.
Conducting has taken him to opera houses and concert halls around the world.
From 1997-2004 he was chief conductor of the Loreley Festival, one of the largest open-air festivals in Europe and from 2000-2011 he was also music director of the Lyric Opera of New Jersey/USA.
In 2016 he was appointed chief conductor of the New Opera of Beijing/China, and in 2018 he was also appointed music director and chief conductor of the Buenos Aires Opera Festival.
In addition, from 2024 he will be artistic director of the Philharmonic Youth Orchestra of Beijing/China.