Artists

• Manfred Honeck

  Conductor

  Over the last quarter-century, Manfred Honeck has firmly established himself as one of the world’s leading conductors, renowned for his distinctive interpretations and arrangements of a wide range of repertoire. For more than a decade he has served as music director of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, celebrated in Pittsburgh and abroad. Their legacy of music-making together includes several Grammy nominations and the 2018 Grammy Award for Best Orchestral Performance. Honeck and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra serve as cultural ambassadors for the city as one of the most frequently toured American orchestras. Their regular appearances abroad have taken them to the major European music capitals and leading festivals such as the BBC Proms in London, Musikfest Berlin, Lucerne Festival, and the Salzburg Festival.

  Born in Austria, Manfred Honeck received his musical training at the Academy of Music in Vienna. His many years of experience as a member of the Vienna Philharmonic and the Vienna Staatsoper Orchestra have given his conducting a distinctive stamp. After beginning his career as assistant to Claudio Abbado, he was engaged by the Zurich Opera House, where he was bestowed the prestigious European Conductor’s Award. Following early posts at MDR Symphony Orchestra in Leipzig and the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, he served as music director of the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra in Stockholm and of the Staatsoper Stuttgart.

  As a guest conductor Manfred Honeck has worked with the world’s leading orchestras, including the Berlin Philharmonic, Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, Staatskapelle Dresden, London Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre de Paris, Orchestra dell’Accademia nazionale di Santa Cecilia, and the Vienna Philharmonic, and he regularly conducts all of the major American orchestras. His operatic guest appearances include Semperoper Dresden, Royal Opera of Copenhagen, Theater an der Wien, and the Salzburg Festival.

  Manfred Honeck holds honorary doctorates from several North American universities and was awarded the honorary title of Professor by the Austrian Federal President. An international jury of critics selected him as the International Classical Music Awards Artist of the Year 2018.

  Learn more about Manfred Honeck

• Ray Chen

  Violin

  Violinist Ray Chen has built a profile around the world both live and on disc since initially coming to attention via the Yehudi Menuhin (2008) and Queen Elizabeth (2009) competitions, of which he was First Prize winner. Signed to Decca Classics in 2017, he was profiled as “one to watch” by Strad and Gramophone, made the Forbes list of 30 most influential Asians under 30, appeared on Mozart in the Jungle, enjoyed a multiyear partnership with Giorgio Armani (who designed the cover of his Mozart album with Christoph Eschenbach), and performed at major media events including France’s Bastille Day (live to 800,000 people), the Nobel Prize Concert in Stockholm, and BBC Proms. 

  
  Learn more about Ray Chen