Introducing Sir Donald Runnicles! More pictures & videos of our new Chief Conductor can be found here.
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-Romantic repertoire which are core to his musical identity.
The 2025/26 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 Runnicles 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 Runnicles 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 Runnicles' inaugural season as Chief Conductor with the Dresden Philharmonic in 2025/26, 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 Runnicles’ 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 2025/26 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 Runnicles 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 him, 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). He was also Principal Guest Conductor of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra for more than two decades (2001–2023).
Sir Donald Runnicles has toured widely with the Deutsche Oper Berlin 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, Sir Donald 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 Wagner's "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 Award 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.