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.

In October 2008 Hartmut Haenchen was awarded the Cross of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany in recognition of his outstanding contribution to music and the arts. The Award was presented at a ceremony in Berlin by the German President Horst Köhler. Click here to view the full report on Hartmut's website.

'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