DONALD RUNNICLES, Principal Guest Conductor
The Neil and Sue Williams Chair

One of his generation's most distinguished conductors in both operatic and symphonic repertoire, Donald Runnicles is the ASO's new Principal Guest Conductor, forming a unique creative partnership with new Music Director Robert Spano. He continues in his post as Music Director of the San Francisco Opera, and in addition he was recently appointed Principal Conductor of the Orchestra of St. Luke's in New York. During this inaugural season with the ASO, he conducts an all-Mozart weekend with pianist Yefim Bronfman in November, the Britten War Requiem with the ASO Chorus in March, Act III of Wagner's opera Die Walküre with Christine Brewer and James Morris in April, and a program of Rachmaninov and Tchaikovsky in May.

His association with San Francisco Opera began in 1990, when Mr. Runnicles made a spectacular debut conducting Wagner's Ring cycle of operas. He became Music Director in 1992. This season he will lead three productions there: Die Meistersinger, Falstaff, and Madama Butterfly. He will also return to the Vienna State Opera for Billy Budd and a Wagner Ring cycle (his tenth with the company) and lead the Metropolitan Opera in Le nozze di Figaro. His orchestral engagements include the BBC Symphony Orchestra in London and the San Francisco Symphony.

Born in Edinburgh, Mr. Runnicles began his career in Germany, where he quickly rose from répétiteur in Mannheim in 1980 to General Music Director of Freiburg in 1989. During this time, he spent his summers assisting at the Wagner Festival in Bayreuth and began guest conducting throughout Europe. His 1988 North American debut caused a sensation when he led Berg's Lulu at the Metropolitan Opera on five hours' notice. While the core of his operatic repertoire is Mozart, Strauss, and Wagner, he has led a broad range of works from Gluck to Tippett at the SFO, including the world premiere of Conrad Susa's Dangerous Liaisons (telecast worldwide), Harvey Milk by Michael Korie and Stewart Wallace (recorded for Teldec), and the North American premiere of Tippett's King Priam.
In demand at the world's foremost opera houses and festivals, Mr. Runnicles conducts at the Bayreuth Festival, Salzburg Festival, Metropolitan Opera, Paris National Opera, and La Scala. He maintains a close and continuing relationship with the Vienna Staatsoper, where he has conducted Wagner Ring cycles annually since 1992 and last year gave the Vienna premiere of Billy Budd. Other Vienna premieres include Shostakovich's Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk and Prokofiev's Fiery Angel, both with the Vienna Volksoper. Further European opera conducting appearances include the Berlin State Opera, Cologne Opera, Bavarian State Opera, Hamburg State Opera, Royal Opera Copenhagen, Zurich Opera, and Netherlands Opera.

Mr. Runnicles's recordings issued on Teldec classics include Humperdink's Hänsel und Gretel, Bellini's Capuleti e i Montecchi with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Gluck's Orphèe et Eurydice (1997 Grammy nomination), a live recording of Harvey Milk, and a symphonic Wagner disk of Ring highlights and the Siegfried Idyll with the Dresden Staatskapelle. His most recent release on Sony Classical features Jane Eaglen in works of Strauss, Wagner, and Berg with the London Symphony Orchestra.

Mr. Runnicles was recognized for his achievements by the University of Edinburgh, which awarded him an honorary doctorate of music in 1995.