GÉRARD KORSTEN’s interpretations of the classical repertoire have established him as one of the most distinguished conductors of his generation. He appearsas guest conductor with orchestras such as the Adelaide Symphony, BBC Scottish Symphony, Budapest Festival Orchestra, Camerata Salzburg, Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Hong Kong Philharmonic, Irish Chamber Orchestra, Orchestra di Padova e del Veneto, Orchestre National de Lyon, Scottish and Swedish Chamber Orchestras, as well as the SWR Sinfonieorchester Freiburg. He has conducted over 100 orchestras in 24 countries.
In the 2024-25 season Gérard Korsten will debut with Princeton Symphony Orchestra and Beethoven's Fidelio at Garsington Opera. He returns to Hessisches Staatsorchester Wiesbaden, Latvian National Symphony Orchestra, Pannon Philharmonic Orchestra in Hungary, and Symphonieorchester Vorarlberg in Austria.
Gérard Korsten’s operatic appearances to date have included the Teatro alla Scala Milan, Opéra National de Lyon, Bregenz Festival, Deutsche Oper Berlin, English National Opera, Glyndebourne Festival, Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Netherlands Opera, New National Theatre Tokyo, Royal Opera Stockholm, and the Hungarian State Opera.
He is Conductor Laureate of Austria’s Symphonieorchester Vorarlberg Bregenz, after his term as principal conductor lasting 13 years. Gérard Korsten has also served as principal conductor of the London Mozart Players, and was music director of the Orchestra del Teatro Lirico di Cagliari in Sardinia.
After studies with Ivan Galamian at the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia, Gérard Korsten went to Salzburg, where he trained with Sándor Végh, becoming concertmaster and then assistant music director of Camerata Salzburg, of which Végh was principal conductor. In 1987, Korsten joined the Chamber Orchestra of Europe as its concertmaster; over his nine years with the ensemble, he built close working relationships with such conductors as Claudio Abbado, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, and Heinz Holliger.
Photo by Marco Borggreve