Friedrich Haider Austrian conductor of Italian origin Date of Birth: 07.11.1961 Country: Austria

Biography of Friedrich Heider

Friedrich Heider, an Austrian conductor of Italian origin, is widely regarded as one of the most outstanding conductors of our time. Heider's talents are highly praised not only by audiences, but also by the musicians he works with, which is a significant achievement. Heider is known worldwide for his incredible range of styles that he is able to work with.

Born in Austria, Friedrich Heider studied conducting at the Vienna Music Academy and the Mozarteum in Salzburg. It is known that one of his mentors was Nikolaus Harnoncourt. He made his opera debut on July 26, 1984, in Klagenfurt, conducting Johann Strauss's "Wiener Blut". In the same year, Heider made his first appearance as a conductor of the Vienna Chamber Orchestra. Over time, his performance geography expanded significantly. He performed in Barcelona, Stockholm, Aix-en-Provence, Lisbon, and Bonn.

With a carefully developed repertoire, Heider mastered a vast number of symphonic works and more than 80 opera productions. In 1991, at the age of 30, Heider became the youngest musical director of the National Rhine Opera in Strasbourg. During his three-year tenure, he staged productions such as "La Traviata", "Rigoletto", "Il Trovatore", "The Merry Widow", "Madama Butterfly", and "Salome". It was under Heider's direction that the complete collection of Richard Strauss's orchestral songs was first performed here. Heider continued to travel to other major cities, performing as a guest conductor in Nice, Hamburg, Munich, Bologna, Cologne, and at the Wels Wagner Festival.

After his time at the National Opera, Heider continued to collaborate with the world's leading opera houses. He was invited to conduct in Vienna, Munich, Dresden, and New York. In 2002, Heider made a successful debut at the Vienna State Opera with "Lucia di Lammermoor" and went on to regularly conduct there. In the fall of 2006, he made his debut at the Metropolitan Opera in New York with "Rigoletto". After this brilliant debut, James Levine told Heider, "The orchestra liked you because you inspire them." This flattering feedback accurately describes the opinion that major orchestras around the world have of Heider. He is rightfully considered one of the best conductors of our time, a view shared by the musicians who work under his direction.

Heider is known not only in Europe and the United States but has also toured in Japan, performing with symphony orchestras and opera productions. The range of works Heider has worked with is extremely wide. Some notable examples include Charles Gounod's "Faust" and Mozart's "Die Entführung aus dem Serail", Donizetti's "Roberto Devereux", and Richard Strauss's "Die Fledermaus". Heider has arranged and revisited Strauss's operetta "Die Fledermaus" more than 70 times. He has also shown a strong interest in the Italian bel canto repertoire.

In 2004, Friedrich Heider became the musical director of the Oviedo Philharmonic Orchestra in Spain. He achieved impressive results with the local orchestra, and in 2007, he embarked on another tour, including a visit to Japan. In concert halls, Heider specializes in the works of Strauss, Brahms, and Dmitri Shostakovich. He continues to collaborate with the world's leading orchestras, such as the London Symphony Orchestra, Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, Dresden State Kapelle, Bruckner Orchestra Linz, Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, Milan Chamber Orchestra, Mantua Chamber Orchestra, Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, and Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra. Recordings of his concerts and performances have been released on various labels, including Deutsche Grammophon, Universal, Philartis Vienna, Teldec, BMG Classics, and Orfeo.

While widely known for his unique conducting talent, Friedrich Heider has also shown his versatility in other areas. He has established himself as an experienced conductor and pianist, particularly excelling in chamber music. His premiere performance of Richard Strauss's complete collection of orchestral songs earned him the prize of the German Music Critics. Since 1971, Heider has had a close friendship with Austrian artist, sculptor, and founder of "Viennese Fantastic Realism," Professor Ernst Fuchs. This friendship has been a significant source of inspiration for Heider, and he has received many valuable creative and ideological impulses from his friend. Heider has also highly valued Fuchs's artwork, amassing a substantial collection of his early works. In 2003, the conductor even published an interesting book about his collection.

Friedrich Heider is married to a violinist and currently resides near Basel.