The Guardian“The unforgettable performances…marked one of Scotland’s proudest periods in orchestra history.”
TheaterJones“In January, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra gave a memorable performance of Beethoven’s Violin Concerto with violinist Nicola Benedetti as soloist, Sibelius’ rarely heard Symphony No. 7, and Beethoven’s masterful Leonore Overture No. 3. Maestro Donald Runnicles was terrific. Some thought that he might make a good replacement for Van Zweden when the concert was over.”
Berliner Morgenpost“Donald Runnicles manages to perfectly merge both worlds (of European classical music and Balinese Gamelan sounds), carving out with the Deutsche Oper Orchestra every naturalist pounding; allowing erotic chaos to break free from the strict bedrock; always guiding their return to a transparent sound.”
Cleveland Plain Dealer“Not one to rush or gloss over detail, Runnicles gave a spacious and luminous reading, giving both his soloists and the ensemble time not to wallow but merely to breathe and savor every nuance. So thoroughly evocative was the performance, it was as if the group had rehearsed the piece bar by bar…It’s been over a decade since Runnicles last conducted the Cleveland Orchestra, and it took an unfortunate illness in Dohnanyi to get him here this time. He shouldn’t be such an infrequent guest. His Mahler alone this week more than justifies a speedy return.”
Seen and Heard International“Listening to the performance conducted by Donald Runnicles felt like witnessing Beethoven’s score coming alive exactly as Beethoven wrote and envisaged it. Nothing more, nothing less: Beethoven left nothing to chances, marked all his instructions for tempi, dynamics and expression with great care. All his markings, including the great many sforzando notes, were faithfully reproduced at this performance. Beethoven’s numerous changes of tempi seemed to sit comfortably with Donald Runnicles. Watching him conduct, that is seeing him from the auditorium with his back to the audience, at times I thought that Beethoven might have conducted similarly.”
Arts ATL“One of the pleasures of the event was experiencing Runnicles in this particular music. Those who primarily associate him with the more refulgent offerings of the Romantic repertoire should be quite pleased with his work here. Both works skew a bit toward the lighter end of the output from their respective composers, and Runnicles responded with a fleetness of touch and keen dynamic awareness that proved in every way satisfying…Beethoven’s Symphony No. 4 must be one of the most underrated pieces in the standard repertory, […] but when delivered with such elation as Runnicles accomplished here, it is irresistible.”
Over a career spanning 45 years, Sir Donald Runnicles has built his reputation on enduring relationships with several of the world’s most significant opera companies and orchestras. He is especially celebrated for his interpretations of the Romantic and post-Romanic repertoire which are core to his musical identity.
The 2025-2026 season is one of transition: it marks both his final season as Music Director of the Deutsche Oper Berlin as well as his first season as Chief Conductor of the Dresden Philharmonic. He also continues to serve as Music Director of the Grand Teton Music Festival and as the first-ever Principal Guest Conductor of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.
Sir Donald concludes his tenure with the Deutsche Oper Berlin with Wagner’s Der Fliegende Holländer, new productions of Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde by Michael Thalheimer and Korngold’s Violanta by David Hermann, all culminating in two cycles of Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen in a Stefan Herheim production that he premiered with the company. Over the course of his sixteen-year tenure, Sir Donald cemented himself as one of the central figures in the German cultural scene. Significant artistic achievements with the company include the completion of a Strauss cycle including Die Frau ohne Schatten, Arabella, and Intermezzo in collaboration with director Tobias Kratzer; a survey of Janáček’s operas including Jenůfa, Káťa Kabanová, Die Sache Makropulos, and Das schlaue Füchslein; world premieres of Detlev Glanert’s Oceane and Aribert Reimann’s L’Invisible, as well as introducing the music of Benjamin Britten to the company with performances of Peter Grimes, Billy Budd, Death in Venice, and The Rape of Lucretia.
In Sir Donald’s inaugural season as Chief Conductor with the Dresden Philharmonic in 25/26, he leads ten weeks of programs including a concertante version of Strauss’ Elektra, highlights his British heritage with performances of William Walton’s Viola Concerto with British violist Timothy Ridout, and Scottish composer Sir James MacMillan’s Symphony No. 4 (which was originally composed to celebrate Sir Donald’s 60th birthday), and concludes the season with a ten-city Asia tour of Japan and Korea.
He returns to conduct four weeks as Principal Guest Conductor of the Sydney Symphony with performances of Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5 and Violin Concerto No. 1 with violinist Leonidas Kavakos, as well as Sibelius’ Symphony No. 2 and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5. Guest engagements for the 25/26 season include performances of Mahler’s Symphony No. 1 with the San Francisco Symphony, Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 “Resurrection” with the BBC Scottish Symphony, and Bruckner’s Symphony No. 8 in his debut with the Philharmonia Orchestra in London.
Sir Donald spends his summers as Music Director of the Grand Teton Music Festival. This eight-week festival of symphonic and chamber music, five of which are conducted by Runnicles, takes place amid the breathtaking beauty of Grand Teton National Park.
Past chief artistic leadership roles include the San Francisco Opera (1992-2008), BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra (2009-2016), and the Orchestra of St. Luke’s (2001-2007). Sir Donald was also Principal Guest Conductor of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra for more than two decades (2001-2023).
Sir Donald has toured widely with the DOB to destinations such as the Edinburgh International Festival, London Proms, and Royal Opera House Muscat in Oman. He joined the Philadelphia Orchestra on a tour to China and a summer residency at Bravo! Vail Music Festival. A regular guest conductor with the Chicago Symphony, Runnicles’ performance history with the orchestra dates back to 1997. Over a decade-long relationship with the Vienna State Opera, he led new productions of Parsifal, Britten’s Billy Budd and Peter Grimes, as well as pieces from the core repertoire. He’s conducted the Berlin Philharmonic, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, and the Orchestre de Paris, among many of the world’s leading orchestras.
His extensive discography includes recordings of Wagner’s Tristan and Isolde, Mozart’s Requiem, Orff’s Carmina Burana, Britten’s Billy Budd, Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel, Bellini’s I Capuleti e i Montecchi, and Aribert Reimann’s L’invisible. His recording of Wagner arias with Jonas Kaufmann and the Orchestra of the Deutsche Oper Berlin won the 2013 Gramophone prize for Best Vocal Recording, and his recording of Janáček’s Jenůfa with the Orchestra and Chorus of the Deutsche Oper Berlin was nominated for a 2016 GRAMMY award for Best Opera Recording.
Donald Runnicles was born and raised in Edinburgh, Scotland. He was appointed OBE in 2004, and was made a Knight Bachelor in 2020. He holds honorary degrees from the University of Edinburgh, the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.
AUGUST 2025
