Biography

With an international conducting career that has spanned nearly six decades, Amsterdam-born Bernard Haitink is one of today’s most celebrated conductors.

Mr. Haitink was for 27 years Chief Conductor of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra; he is now their Conductor Laureate. In addition, Mr Haitink has previously held posts as Music Director of the Royal Opera, Covent Garden, Glyndebourne Festival Opera, and was Principal Conductor of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the London Philharmonic. He is Conductor Emeritus of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. He has made frequent guest appearances with most of the world’s leading orchestras.

Mr Haitink starts the 2012-13 season leading the Berlin Philharmonic. He visits the US twice this season, for two weeks of concerts with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in October, and another two week residency with the Boston Symphony in the spring. February/March 2013 sees a return to Asia with the London Symphony Orchestra, starting with concerts in London and continuing to Korea and Japan on a 3 week tour. Other highlights of 2012-13 include engagements with the Bavarian Radio Symphony and Royal Concertgebouw Orchestras, and projects with The Chamber Orchestra of Europe in Lucerne and Frankfurt.

Mr Haitink has recorded widely for Phillips, Decca and EMI with the Concertgebouw Orchestra, the Berlin and Vienna Philharmonic orchestras and the Boston Symphony Orchestra. His discography also includes many opera recordings with the Royal Opera, Glyndebourne, and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra. Most recently he has recorded extensively with the London Symphony Orchestra for “LSO Live”, including the complete Brahms and Beethoven symphonies, and with the Chicago Symphony on their “Resound” label.  Mr Haitink received Grammy Awards for his recordings of Janacek’s “Jenufa” with the Royal Opera, and for Shostakovich Symphony No. 4 with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

Mr Haitink has received many international awards in recognition of his services to music, including an honorary Companion of Honour in the United Kingdom and the House Order of Orange-Nassau in the Netherlands.

September 2012