Hans Graf (born 15 February 1949 in Marchtrenk) is an Austrian conductor. As a child, Graf learned the

violin The violin, sometimes known as a '' fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone ( string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument ( soprano) in the family in regu ...

and the

piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keyboa ...

. He studied at the Musikhochschule in

Graz Graz (; sl, Gradec) is the capital city of the Austrian state of Styria and second-largest city in Austria after Vienna. As of 1 January 2021, it had a population of 331,562 (294,236 of whom had principal-residence status). In 2018, the popula ...

, Austria, and graduated with diplomas in piano and conducting. He also participated in conducting master classes with Franco Ferrara,

Sergiu Celibidache Sergiu Celibidache (; 14 August 1996) was a Romanian conductor, composer, musical theorist, and teacher. Educated in his native Romania, and later in Paris and Berlin, Celibidache's career in music spanned over five decades, including tenures ...

and

Arvīds Jansons Arvīds Jansons (10 October 1914 – 21 November 1984) was a Latvian conductor and father of conductor Mariss Jansons. Jansons was born in Liepāja. He studied violin from 1929 until 1935 at the Conservatory of Liepāja, then composition a ...

. He received a state scholarship at the Leningrad Conservatory with Arvid Jansons. For the season 1975/1976 Graf was music director of the

Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra The Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra began as the Baghdad Symphony Orchestra in 1944. It performed for approximately two years and was disbanded after Albert Chaffoo left Iraq and returned to London to continue his musical career. Many members of t ...

in Baghdad. After winning the Karl Böhm conductor's competition in 1979, he made his debut at the Vienna State Opera in 1981 with Stravinsky's ''

Petrouchka ''Petrushka'' (french: link=no, Pétrouchka; russian: link=no, Петрушка) is a ballet and orchestral concert work by Russian composer Igor Stravinsky. It was written for the 1911 Paris season of Sergei Diaghilev's Ballets Russes company; ...

''. He then worked at major opera houses including Munich, Paris, Florence, Venice and Rome. Since 1995, he has conducted most major American orchestras, including the Boston Symphony,

Cleveland Orchestra The Cleveland Orchestra, based in Cleveland, is one of the five American orchestras informally referred to as the " Big Five". Founded in 1918 by the pianist and impresario Adella Prentiss Hughes, the orchestra plays most of its concerts at Se ...

New York Philharmonic The New York Philharmonic, officially the Philharmonic-Symphony Society of New York, Inc., globally known as New York Philharmonic Orchestra (NYPO) or New York Philharmonic-Symphony Orchestra, is a symphony orchestra based in New York City. It is ...

and

Philadelphia Orchestra The Philadelphia Orchestra is an American symphony orchestra, based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. One of the " Big Five" American orchestras, the orchestra is based at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, where it performs its subscriptio ...

. Graf was

music director A music(al) director or director of music is the person responsible for the musical aspects of a performance, production, or organization. This would include the artistic director and usually chief conductor of an orchestra or concert band, the di ...

of the

Mozarteum Orchestra of Salzburg The Mozarteum Orchestra Salzburg is an Austrian orchestra, based in the town and state of Salzburg. The orchestra gives concerts in several Salzburg venues, including the '' Großes Festspielhaus'', the Great Hall of the Stiftung Mozarteum. ...

from 1984 to 1994, where he recorded the complete symphonies and other works by

Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 17565 December 1791), baptised as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition r ...

. From 1994 to 1996, he held the position of music director of the Basque National Orchestra, then from 1995 to 2003, of the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra and from 1998 to 2004 of the Orchestre National Bordeaux Aquitaine, France, where he was nominated member of the

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleo ...

in 2002. Graf first conducted the

Houston Symphony The Houston Symphony is an American orchestra based in Houston, Texas. The orchestra is resident at the Jesse H. Jones Hall for the Performing Arts. History The first concert of what was to become the Houston Symphony took place on June 21, ...

in 2000, and became its music director in 2001. He made his

Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between West 56th and 57th Streets. Designed by architect William Burnet Tuthill and built ...

conducting debut with the Houston Symphony in January 2006. At the conclusion of his Houston tenure in 2013, Graf took the title of Conductor Laureate. He has been an

artist-in-residence Artist-in-residence, or artist residencies, encompass a wide spectrum of artistic programs which involve a collaboration between artists and hosting organisations, institutions, or communities. They are programs which provide artists with space a ...

at the Shepherd School of Music,

Rice University William Marsh Rice University (Rice University) is a Private university, private research university in Houston, Houston, Texas. It is on a 300-acre campus near the Houston Museum District and adjacent to the Texas Medical Center. Rice is ranke ...

. On 2 December 2012 Graf was honoured by the Bruckner Society of America with the Kilenyi Medal of Honor for his performances of the Bruckner's Symphonies 3-4 and 6-9 including the sketches to Finale of the 9th, as well as the Mass No. 2 and the

Te Deum The "Te Deum" (, ; from its incipit, , ) is a Latin Christian hymn traditionally ascribed to AD 387 authorship, but with antecedents that place it much earlier. It is central to the Ambrosian hymnal, which spread throughout the Latin Ch ...

. From 2013 to 2015, Graf was professor for orchestral conducting at

Mozarteum University Salzburg Mozarteum University Salzburg (German: ''Universität Mozarteum Salzburg'') is one of three affiliated but separate (it is actually a state university) entities under the “Mozarteum” moniker in Salzburg municipality; the International Mo ...

. In 2018, he won a

Grammy The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

award for the recording of Alban Berg's Wozzeck with Anne Schwanewilms, Roman Trekel and the Houston Symphony. This recording had received an ECHO Klassik award in 2017. Lately, Graf performed at the summer festivals of

Tanglewood Tanglewood is a music venue in the towns of Lenox and Stockbridge in the Berkshire Hills of western Massachusetts. It has been the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra since 1937. Tanglewood is also home to three music schools: the ...

Aspen Aspen is a common name for certain tree species; some, but not all, are classified by botanists in the section ''Populus'', of the '' Populus'' genus. Species These species are called aspens: *'' Populus adenopoda'' – Chinese aspen (C ...

(both 2017) and

Vail Vail is a home rule municipality in Eagle County, Colorado, United States. The population of the town was 4,835 in 2020. Home to Vail Ski Resort, the largest ski mountain in Colorado, the town is known for its hotels, dining, and for the numer ...

(2018). Graf first appeared with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra in 2015, and returned for a further guest engagement in 2018. In July 2019, the Singapore Symphony Orchestra announced the appointment of Hans Graf as its new chief conductor, effective with the 2020-2021 season. In private life, Graf is known as a wine connoisseur. He and his wife Margarita have a daughter, Anna.

Discography

* 2017: Alban Berg: ''Wozzeck''. Roman Trekel, Anne Schwanewilms, Houston Symphony (Naxos). ECHO Klassik Prize 2017 for best 20th/21st century opera recording and Grammy 2018 award for best opera recording. * 2014: Carl Orff: ''Carmina Burana''. Sarah Tynan, Andrew Kennedy, Rodion Pogossow, London Philharmonic Orchestra & Choir, Trinity Boys Choir (LPO) * 2012: Paul Hindemith: Works for Viola and Orchestra (Der Schwanendreher, Trauermusik, ''Kammermusik'' Nr. 5 op. 36 Nr. 4, Konzertmusik op. 48a. First recording of early version). Tabea Zimmermann, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin (Myrios) * 2010: ''The Planets''. An HD Odyssey (DVD with film material from NASA, Video by Duncan Copp). Music: Gustav Holst: ''The Planets''. Houston Symphony (HS Label) * 2009: Gustav Mahler: ''Das Lied von der Erde''. Jane Henschel, Gregory Kunde, Houston Symphony (Naxos) * 2007: Alexander Zemlinsky: Lyrische Symphonie op. 18, Alban Berg: Three pieces from the Lyric Suite (version for string orchestra). Twyla Robinson, Roman Trekel, Houston Symphony (Naxos) * 2007: George Gershwin: ''An American in Paris'', Concerto in F, ''Porgy and Bess'', A Symphonic Picture (arr. Richard Bennett). Jon Kimura Parker, Houston Symphony (HS Label) * 2006: Johann Strauss jr.: Overtures, waltzes, polkas. Houston Symphony Orchestra & Chorus (HS Label) * 2004: Béla Bartók: ''The Wooden Prince'', Igor Strawinski: Divertimento (from ''Le Baiser de la Fée''). Houston Symphony (Koch International) * 2004: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Requiem K 626, Symphony C-Dur K 338, Sinfonia Concertante for violin, viola and cello K Anh. 104 (Fragment, orch. Hans Graf). Heidi Grant Murphy, Jane Gilbert, Stanford Olsen, Nathan Berg, Eric Halen, Wayne Brooks, Brinton Smith, Houston Symphony Orchestra & Chorus (HS Label, 2 CDs) * 2004: Anton Bruckner: Symphonie Nr. 4 E flat major. Houston Symphony (HS Label) * 2000–2004: Henri Dutilleux: Orchestral works: Symphony Nr. 2, ''Métaboles'', ''The Shadows of Time'', Symphony Nr. 1, ''Tout un monde lointain…'' (cello concerto), ''Timbres, Espace, Mouvement ou La Nuit Etoilée'', ''L'Arbre des Songes'' (violin concerto), ''La Geôle'' (first recording), ''Deux Sonnets de Jean Cassou'', ''Mystère de l'Instant'' (version for large orchestra). Jean Guihen Queyras, Olivier Charlier, François Le Roux, Orchestre National Bordeaux Aquitaine (Arte Nova/Sony, 3 CDs) * 2001: Darius Milhaud: ''Saudades do Brazil'', ''Scaramouche'' for saxophone and orchestra. Heitor Villa-Lobos: ''Descobrimento do Brazil'' (Suite 2 & 3). Jeremy Brown, Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra (CBC Records) * 2001: Carl Orff: ''Carmina Burana''. Christine Brandes, Noel E. Velasco, Stephen Powell, Ford Bend Boys Chorus, Houston Symphony Orchestra & Chorus (HS Label) * 1998–2000: Franz Schubert: The complete symphonies, 4 overtures. Aarhus Symphony Orchestra (Kontrapunkt, 5 CDs) * 1999: Gustav Mahler: Symphony Nr. 1 D major (incl. ''Blumine''). Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra (CPO Label) * 1999: Franz Liszt: Piano concertos Nr. 1 E flat major, Nr. 2 A major, Nr. 3 E flat major (Op. posth., ed. Jerry Rosenblatt), Concerto in the Hungarian style ("Sophie Menter-Konzert", orch. P.I. Tschaikowski). Janina Fialkowska, Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra (CBC Records) * 1997: Manuel de Falla: ''Nights in the Gardens of Spain''. Isaac Albeniz: ''Rapsodia Española'', Joaquin Turina: ''Rapsodia Sinfonica'', Xavier Montsalvatge: ''Concierto Breve''.

Angela Cheng Angela Cheng ( zh, 鄭美蓮; born September 9, 1959) is a Hong Kong-born Canadian classical pianist. She has performed internationally as a recitalist and as a guest soloist with orchestras. Cheng is a professor of piano at the Oberlin Conserv ...

, Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra (CBC Records) * 1992–1994: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Piano concertos K 271, 414, 456, 459, 466, 467, 482, 488, 491, 503, 537, 595.

Éric Heidsieck Éric Charles Heidsieck (born 21 August 1936) is a French classical pianist. Biography Born in Reims, Heidsieck gave his first recital at the age of nine and his first concert with orchestra a year later. He studied with Marcel Ciampi then A ...

, Mozarteum Orchester Salzburg (JVC, 6 CDs) * 1994: Anton Bruckner: Symphony Nr. 8. Mozarteum Orchester Salzburg (VFMO 0894-1/2) * 1990: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Violin concertos Nr. 1 B flat major K 207, Nr. 2 D major K 211, Adagio for violin and orchestra K 261, Rondos for violin and orchestra K 269 & 373. Benjamin Schmid, Mozarteum Orchester Salzburg (Capriccio) * 1990: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Concertos for flute and orchestra K 313 & 314, Andante for flute and orchestra in C major K 315, Rondo in D major K Anh. 184. Shigenori Kudo, Mozarteum Orchester Salzburg (NEC Classics) * 1990: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Dances and Minuets. Mozarteum Orchester Salzburg (Capriccio) * 1989–1990: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: The complete symphonies. Mozarteum Orchester Salzburg (Capriccio, 13 CDs) * 1989: Ludwig van Beethoven: Piano concertos Nr. 1 C major & No. 4 G major. Maria Tipo, London Symphony Orchestra (EMI) * 1989: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Concert for flute and harp K 299, Rondo in D major K Anh. 184, Concert for flute in D major K 314, Andante for flute and orchestra in C major K 315. Simion Stanciu, Helga Storck, Mozarteum Orchester Salzburg (Erato) * 1988: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Marches. Mozarteum Orchester Salzburg (Capriccio) * 1987: Alexander Zemlinsky: ''Es war einmal'' (First recording). Eva Johansson, Kurt Westi, Aage Haugland, Per Arne Wahlgren, Danish National Radio Symphony Orchestra & Chorus (Capriccio) * 1981: Franz Lehár: ''Der Rastelbinder'' (First recording). Fritz Muliar, Elfie Hobarth, Helga Papouschek, Heinz Zednik, Adolf Dallapozza, Wiener Mozart Sängerknaben, ORF Chor, Radio-Symphonieorchester Wien (CPO/WDR/ORF)

References

External links

CM Artists agency biography of Hans Graf

Hans Graf biography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Graf, Hans 1949 births Grammy Award winners Male conductors (music) Music directors Living people Rice University staff Classical musicians from Texas People from Wels-Land District People from Houston Recipients of the Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria 21st-century Austrian conductors (music) 21st-century male musicians