Württembergische Philharmonie Reutlingen & Howard Griffiths
Biography Württembergische Philharmonie Reutlingen & Howard Griffiths
Howard Griffiths
is an internationally active British-Swiss conductor with a worldwide reputation. His collaborations with today’s most renowned orchestras, soloists and composers has attracted as much enthusiasm and attention as his commitment to talented young artists and charitable causes.
Born in England, Howard Griffiths studied at the Royal College of Music in London and has lived with his family in Switzerland since 1981. From 1996 to 2006, he was Artistic Director and Chief Conductor of the Zurich Chamber Orchestra (ZKO). During this time he broke new ground and significantly continued its tradition in many respects. From 2007 to 2018, Howard Griffiths was General Music Director of the Brandenburg State Orchestra Frankfurt. Both directorships were extremely successful, which was reflected in extensive tours of Europe, the USA and China, award-winning CD recordings, pioneering projects in the field of music education and youth work, as well as in the expansion of the regular audience and an extraordinary response from audiences and the press.
Worldwide engagements as a guest conductor with leading orchestras such as the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Deutsches Sinfonieorchester Berlin and various German radio orchestras, the Mozarteum Orchestra Salzburg, the Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra, the Orqesta Nacional de España, the Orchestre National de France, the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra and many others round off his career as an internationally recognised conductor. His regular commitment to contemporary music and his close collaboration with composers such as Sofia Gubaidulina, Arvo Pärt and Hans Werner Henze make him a versatile and sought-after artist. Howard Griffiths has performed with numerous renowned artists such as Sir James Galway, Mischa Maisky, Maurice André, Güher and Süher Pekinel, Maria João Pires, Mikhail Pletnev, Vadim Repin, Fazil Say, Gil Shaham and many more.
Almost 200 CD recordings on labels such as Warner, Universal, CPO, Sony and Alpha Classics bear witness to Howard Griffiths' broad artistic spectrum. They include many premier recordings of works by present day composers and more than 60 symphonies by contemporaries of Beethoven and the early Romantic period. In addition to numerous awards, his recordings of all four Brahms symphonies in particular have received great praise: "Such flights of fancy are [...] only possible with an orchestra that performs at the highest level and is on a basis of trust with the conductor." (radioswissclassic)
During his years as General Music Director of the Brandenburg State Orchestra, he was particularly committed to working with up-and-coming young soloists and was very engaged in the field of musical education of children and young people. Both soon became his "trademark". Crossover education projects earned the orchestra the special "Innovative Orchestra"-Award from the German Orchestra Foundation in 2018. Also his four award-winning children's books, published by Swiss music publisher Hug Musikverlag, have attracted a great deal of attention.
In addition to his international guest appearances, Howard Griffiths is currently devoting himself enthusiastically to the recording of the complete solo concertos by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Camille Saint-Saëns with particularly talented young soloists from the Orpheum Foundation, for which he was responsible as Artistic Director for 24 years.
In the annual "New Year's Honours List" announced by Queen Elizabeth II on New Year's Day, Howard Griffiths was made a "Member of the British Empire" (MBE) in 2006. He was also honoured with the Order of Merit of the State of Brandenburg for his artistic achievements and social commitment during his time with the Brandenburg State Orchestra Frankfurt.
The Württembergische Philharmonie Reutlingen
When the citizens of Reutlingen founded a professional orchestra amidst the ruins of World War II in 1945, the Württembergische Philharmonie Reutlingen (WPR) was born. The orchestra has long since evolved into an internationally active symphony orchestra with members from approximately fifteen nations, fulfilling the role of a state orchestra.
The founding principle of fostering social cohesion through the power of music continues to resonate today. Openness to the world and curiosity are hallmarks of the WPR: The orchestra deliberately targets diverse audiences with a variety of concert programs. In its highly regarded "Experience Orchestra" program, it continually develops new formats and collaborates with other cultural partners in the region. In 2022, it was selected for the "Excellent Orchestra Landscape Germany" program and received federal funding for its innovative ideas.
During its guest performances both at home and abroad, the WPR sees itself as an ambassador, carrying the name of the city and the country to the world. It collaborates with world-renowned and established artists as well as with young, up-and-coming musicians. This is not limited to classical and romantic orchestral music. For decades, the orchestra has also dedicated itself to other musical styles in its successful Kaleidoscope series. It performs with artists from jazz, world music, musicals, Latin, hip-hop, chanson, and pop.
The WPR is deeply committed to nurturing young audiences and reaches over 8,000 young people annually in Reutlingen through children's and family concerts, as well as other (digital and analog) formats. The German Orchestra Foundation awarded it the "Innovative Orchestra 2019" prize for its interactive livestreaming format, "The Orchestra Quiz." The same project received the German Prize for Online Communication in the Digital Event category in 2023.
The WPR is deeply committed to nurturing young listeners and reaches over 8,000 young people each year in Reutlingen through children's and family concerts, as well as other (digital and analog) formats.
In 2009, the WPR received the BKM Federal Prize for Cultural Education for a project with artists with intellectual disabilities. In 2015, the WPR became the first orchestra in Baden-Württemberg to establish a concert series for people with dementia. The following year, it launched an intercultural music theater project with refugees, which, due to its overwhelming success, was continued in 2018.
Numerous CD and radio recordings document the WPR's artistic work, including world premiere recordings.
The French conductor Ariane Matiakh has been chief conductor since the beginning of the 2022/2023 season.
