Günther Herbig

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Günther Herbig has established himself as a prominent conductor in the international music world, in particular, building a strong career in America since 1980. After serving as Music Director of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra for six years, he was Music Director of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra for five years—a position he gave up in 1994 to enable him to work in Europe more often. He continues to live in Michigan.

Because of the political situation in East Germany, Günther Herbig's first opportunity in the West came quite late; he was invited to be the Principal Guest Conductor of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra in 1979. Since moving to the United States in 1984, he has appeared with all the great American orchestras—the New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, Boston Symphony, Philadelphia and Cleveland orchestras, the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the San Francisco Symphony. He toured America several times with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and received high praise for the performances they gave in New York's Carnegie Hall. In January 1989, he toured Europe with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra with Gidon Kremer as soloist. In 1990, he toured the Far East with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. In Spring 1991 Mr. Herbig toured Europe with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, his 37th international orchestra tour. From 1990 to 1997 he served as Visiting Professor of Conducting at Yale University, with a one-week master class each term.

In West Europe, he started his career in Britain in 1979 when he was invited to become Principal Guest Conductor of the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra. It was only in 1984, after he had left East Germany, that Günther Herbig was able to conduct regularly in Western Europe. Very quickly he was invited by the other major British orchestras, including the London Symphony Orchestra, the Philharmonia and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Since then he has conducted most of the major European orchestras and has toured Japan, South America and Australia many times.

He has recorded more than 100 works, some of which were with the East German orchestras with whom he was associated prior to moving to the West in 1984. Since then he has made recordings with several of the London orchestras, the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra and others.

Giünther Herbig began his musical training with Hermann Abendroth at the Franz Liszt Academy in Weimar. He continued his studies with Hermann Scherchen and was one of only a few students chosen for intensive study with Herbert von Karajan, with whom he worked for two years. In 1972 he became General Music Director of the Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra, and from 1977 until autumn 1983, held the same position with the Berlin Symphony. In 2001 he became the Chief Conductor of the Saarbrücken Radio Symphony Orchestra.

A recent highlight of his career was his invitation to conduct at the 2001 Edinburgh Festival a duplicate of the programme that took place at the Theater an der Wien in Vienna on 22 December 1808 when Beethoven presented and conducted his Pastoral Symphony. This three-hour concert devised by Beethoven was Symphony No. 6, Ah! Perfido, Gloria from the C Major Mass, Piano Concerto No. 4, Symphony No. 5, Sanctus from the C Major Mass and Choral Fantasia.