Music Director Donald Runnicles
Donald Runnicles was born in Scotland, and was educated there and at Cambridge University; soon afterwards he went to Germany to work in opera. To learn his art from the ground up, he took a répétiteur job in Mannheim in 1980, coaching singers and attending rehearsals. He made his North American debut in 1988 at a few hours’ notice conducting Berg’s Lulu at the Metropolitan Opera, and in 1989 was named General Music Director at the Freiburg Opera. He made his 1991 Glyndebourne debut conducting Don Giovanni in the production observing the 200th anniversary of Mozart’s death. He has also conducted frequently at the Salzburg and Bayreuth festivals.
The San Francisco Opera offered Mr. Runnicles the opportunity to conduct two Wagner Ring cycles in 1990, and he was soon invited to become Music Director, succeeding Sir John Pritchard. Now in his second decade as Music Director, Mr. Runnicles has led more than 40 productions in the house, including highly-acclaimed North American premieres including John Adams’ stunning and controversial Dr. Atomic.
Donald Runnicles’ recordings include a new Mozart Requiem with the Atlanta Symphony; the Beethoven Ninth Symphony and Orff’s Carmina burana with Atlanta; a Grammy-nominated CD with tenor Ben Heppner of German Romantic opera arias; a disc of Ring excerpts with the Dresden Staatskapelle; Humperdinck’s Hänsel und Gretel; Bellini’s I Capuleti e i Montecchi; and a CD with soprano Jane Eaglen of works by Strauss, Wagner, and Berg.
Among the many awards bestowed upon Donald Runnicles are the OBE – offered during his 50th-birthday gala at the San Francisco Opera – and an honorary degree from Edinburgh University.
