Photo: Johannes Abeling

Hartmut Haenchen, conductor

Hartmut Haenchen is a survivor whose high intellectual and musical integrity has restored him to the forefront of musical life. He is a man of considerable gravitas - a highly dedicated artist with a breadth of experience who exudes warmth and charm. Particularly well-known for his distinguished interpretations of Richard Strauss, Wagner and Mahler, he has considerable understanding of how these composers structured their music, which comes across when he conducts.

‘expertly conducted by Hartmut Haenchen, and the Royal Opera orchestra is on rumbustious form all evening.’

The Times - Salome, The Royal Opera House, July 2010

'The Paris Opera orchestra rose to the challenge of Shostakovitch’s often knotty score with a reading of incomparable fire and melting delicacy as required. Rarely has this fine band been heard to such advantage in a house noted for its variable acoustic. I don’t know what more maestro Hartmut Haenchen can do to get to be the Critic’s Darling or the Queen’s Delight, but based on this evening’s thrilling result (and every other Haenchen performance I have heard) he is way higher up in my conductors’ pantheon than other more highly publicized baton wavers. The all-important chorus, well-prepared by Winfried Maczewski. made solid contributions all evening. Superb. '

Opera Today - Lady Macbeth, Opéra National de Paris

'This premiere was of an exceptionally high musical standard, with the utterly perfect conducting of Hartmut Haenchen - at the same time dense,fluid, dramatic,contemplative and fervent. He unveiled the work's complete expressive range, and in his hands the orchestra sounded fabulous, with complete depth and clarity'

Le Figaro - Parsifal, Opéra National de Paris

'Under Hartmut’s direction, the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra played with unbelievable refinement. Wagner’s music radiated effortlessly from the orchestra pit without a single weak moment. It was beautiful and gracious, yet also intimate, fragile and exciting: nothing was missing...'

Algemeen Dagblad - Tannhäuser, Netherlands Opera