Hans Graf Austrian conductor. Date of Birth: 15.02.1919 Country: Austria

Biography of Hans Graf

Hans Graf, an Austrian conductor, was born into a musical family. He received his musical education at the Graz Conservatory in Austria, graduating in 1971 with degrees in piano and conducting. He attended masterclasses with Franco Ferrara in Siena and Sergiu Celibidache in Bologna, and was also a scholarship recipient at the Leningrad Conservatory under Arvid Jansons. In 1979, he won the first prize at the Karl Böhm Competition in Salzburg.

In 1980, Graf made his debut with the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, followed by his debut at the Vienna State Opera in 1981. He was invited to conduct at opera houses in Munich, Paris, Zurich, Rome, and Berlin. Under his leadership, more than 30 opera premieres were performed. He participated in music festivals in Salzburg, Florence, Aix-en-Provence, Savonlinna, and St. Petersburg. In 1984, he became the chief conductor of the Mozarteum Orchestra in Salzburg. In 1987, he made his first appearance with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra.

Starting from 1989, Graf began conducting in America, performing with orchestras in Boston, New York, Cleveland, and Philadelphia. In 2001, he became the music director of the Houston Symphony Orchestra. He also held positions as the chief conductor in Calgary (Canada, 1999-2002), Bordeaux (France, 1998-2004), and San Sebastián (Spain, 1994-1996).

In 2002, he was awarded the title of Knight of the Legion of Honor for his promotion of contemporary French music worldwide, particularly for his work with the National Orchestra of Aquitaine on the complete orchestral works of Henri Dutilleux. From 2013 to 2015, he served as the head of the conducting department at the Mozarteum University in Salzburg. In 2015, he received the Schikaneder Prize in Vienna for being the best opera conductor in Austria.