Wilson Hermanto Conductor A fine conductor, Wilson Hermanto ...

Wilson Hermanto
Conductor
A fine conductor, Wilson Hermanto conducted the
Haydn with style, giving the work a lightness of touch
and elegance Le Temp February 2011
Wilson Hermanto, the young American conductor now based in Switzerland, has a number
of successful debuts to his credit, most recently with the Orchestra national de Lyon in May,
2012; the adventurous programme included works of Varèse, Schoenberg and Brahms/
Schoenberg and he will return next season for a programme of Wagner. Other recent
engagements have included performances with the London Philharmonic Orchestra in a
programme of Brahms and Tchaikovsky, the Prague Symphony Orchestra (Ravel),
Orchestra of Schleswig-Holstein Festival with pianist Lang Lang on its USA tour, the
Ensemble Orchestral de Paris (Tokyo and Paris), the Festival Chamber Orchestra Français
de la Grange de Meslay as well the Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse, replacing
Mikko Franck.
The 2011/ 2012 season opened with a series of concerts in Rennes with the Orchestre de
Bretagne, including works by Dvorak and Brahms. This was followed by a ten concert
French tour with the National d´Île de France which also included a Paris concert to
showcase the programme of Beethoven, Mendelssohn and Schubert as well as a world
premiere Triple Concerto by Matteo Franchescini with the Trio Wanderer as soloists. In
Lausanne Wilson Hermanto conducted a prestigious Mahler/Mozart programme with
soloists Pascal Moragues clarinet and soprano Miah Persson, supported by the
distinguished musicologist Mr Henry-Louis de la Grange.
During the 2012/2013 season Wilson Hermanto returns to the Orchestre National de Lyon
in a programme of Wagner, having made a successful debut in May 2012.
In September 2011, Offenbach Orphée aux enfers with the exciting young director,
Stephan Groegler, was the successful production of the Geneva Conservatoire. Featured
in a long television interview, excerpts can be seen on the websites below.
In recent seasons, Wilson has worked in addition with the Cleveland Orchestra, Orchestra
of the NDR Hannover, English Chamber Orchestra, Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne,
the Moscow Symphony Orchestra, Florida Orchestra, Orchestre National de l'Opera de
Lorraine, Brandenburg State Orchestra, Sinfonia Cracovia and Sinfonietta de Lausanne.
In the USA, Wilson Hermanto joined the Cleveland Orchestra as Assistant Conductor, a
post he held from 2002 – 2004. He conducted the orchestra on numerous occasions during
his tenure, working closely with Music Director Franz Welser-Möst, guest conductors, and
on touring projects. He was then invited to collaborate with M. Christoph Eschenbach and a
number of orchestras between 2004 - 2007.
He made his Blossom Festival debut conducting the Cleveland Orchestra in the summer of
2003. Wilson Hermanto was active in the planning of education programmes with the
February 2012 - Updated biographies are available at www.icartists.co.uk
Please do not use this biography if it is more than three months old.

Cleveland Orchestra as well as taking part in the training programme of the Cleveland
Orchestra Youth Orchestra.
Prior to his position in Cleveland, Wilson Hermanto was Music Director of the Young
Musicians Foundation (YMF) Debut Orchestra in Los Angeles, continuing the tradition of its
past music directors such as André Previn, Michael Tilson Thomas and Myung-Whun
Chung. The YMF Debut Orchestra is among the most respected and important training
orchestras for young musicians in the United States and Mr. Hermanto’s appointment to
lead this ensemble came as a result of his winning a national conductor search competition
in 1999. In his three year tenure in Los Angeles he performed several important world
premiere works by American composers as part of a collaboration between the YMF Debut
Orchestra and the BMI Foundation, as well as the standard works from Classical, Romantic
and 20th Century repertoire, including the Orchestra’s first performance of Bruckner
Symphony No 9.
Wilson Hermanto has a keen and active interest in contemporary repertoire. He was
invited by Pierre Boulez to be one of only two young conductors to participate in the
Lucerne Festival Academy, working intensively with Maestro Boulez on works by
contemporary composers.
Mr. Hermanto founded and served as Music Director of the Prometheus Chamber
Orchestra in New York from 1996 to 2002. He made his opera debut conducting a
production of Humperdinck’s Hänsel und Gretel in Los Angeles in 2000
Wilson Hermanto studied piano and violin graduating with high honours in violin from the
Peabody Conservatory of Music in Baltimore and in conducting from the Manhattan School
of Music in New York. He studied further with a number of eminent conductors including
Carlo Maria Giulini at Scuola Musica di Fiesole, Jorma Panula at the Tanglewood Music
Center and took part in master classes with Bernard Haitink, Sir Colin Davis, Kurt Masur
and Seiji Ozawa.
Contact information
Cathy Carson
T: +44 (0)20 7902 0522
M: +44 75381 79065ccarson@icartists.co.uk
International Classical Artists
The Tower Building, 11 York Road, London SE1 7NX
Tel: +44 (0)20 7902 0520 / Fax: +44 (0)20 7902 0530
www.icartsts.co.uk
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