Hugh Wolff
Encyclopedia
Hugh Wolff is an American conductor
.
He was born in Paris while his father was serving in the U. S. Foreign Service, then spent his primary-school years in London. He received his higher education at Harvard and at Peabody Conservatory. Between Harvard and Peabody, he spent a year in Paris where he studied composition with Olivier Messiaen
and conducting with Charles Bruck
. At Peabody, he studied piano with Leon Fleisher
.
He began his career in 1979 as assistant conductor to Mstislav Rostropovich
at the National Symphony Orchestra, in Washington, D.C. and as music director of the orchestra of Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Wolff then served as music director of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra
from 1986 to 1993. In 1985 he was awarded the Seaver/National Endowment for the Arts Conductors Award
.
From 1988–1992, Wolff was Principal Conductor of the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra
and then served as its Music Director from 1992–2000. He was Principal Conductor of the Grant Park Music Festival from 1994–1997, and from 1997-2006 was Chief Conductor of the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra (which changed its name to the hr Symphony Orchestra in 2005).
Wolff has conducted major orchestras around the world, including the foremost American orchestras - the New York Philharmonic
, Boston Symphony Orchestra
, Chicago Symphony Orchestra
, Cleveland Orchestra
, Philadelphia Orchestra
, Los Angeles Philharmonic, and San Francisco Symphony - and the London Symphony Orchestra
, Philharmonia (London), Orchestre National de France, Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra
, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Berlin and Bavarian Radio Orchestras, and orchestras in Australia, Japan, Korea, and Canada. He has recorded extensively for Teldec, Sony and others, has been nominated three times for a Grammy and has twice won the Cannes Classical Award. His discography includes the complete Beethoven symphonies with the Frankfurt Radio Orchestra. As a conductor he has accompanied recordings by Rostropovich, Yo-Yo Ma, Joshua Bell, Hilary Hahn
, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Dawn Upshaw
, Thomas Hampson, Jennifer Larmore
, and jazz guitarist John Scofield.
In addition to his performing career, Wolff is Director of Orchestras and teaches orchestral conducting at the New England Conservatory of Music
in Boston, Massachusetts.
Wolff lives in Boston with his wife, the harpist and author Judith Kogan, and their three sons.
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
.
He was born in Paris while his father was serving in the U. S. Foreign Service, then spent his primary-school years in London. He received his higher education at Harvard and at Peabody Conservatory. Between Harvard and Peabody, he spent a year in Paris where he studied composition with Olivier Messiaen
Olivier Messiaen
Olivier Messiaen was a French composer, organist and ornithologist, one of the major composers of the 20th century. His music is rhythmically complex ; harmonically and melodically it is based on modes of limited transposition, which he abstracted from his early compositions and improvisations...
and conducting with Charles Bruck
Charles Bruck
Charles Bruck was a Hungarian-French conductor.Bruck was born in Temesvár, Kingdom of Hungary, Austro-Hungarian Empire, since 1920 Timişoara, since 1920 in Romania....
. At Peabody, he studied piano with Leon Fleisher
Leon Fleisher
Leon Fleisher is an American pianist and conductor.-Early life and studies:Fleisher was born in San Francisco, where he started studying the piano at age four...
.
He began his career in 1979 as assistant conductor to Mstislav Rostropovich
Mstislav Rostropovich
Mstislav Leopoldovich Rostropovich, KBE , known to close friends as Slava, was a Soviet and Russian cellist and conductor. He was married to the soprano Galina Vishnevskaya. He is widely considered to have been the greatest cellist of the second half of the 20th century, and one of the greatest of...
at the National Symphony Orchestra, in Washington, D.C. and as music director of the orchestra of Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Wolff then served as music director of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra
New Jersey Symphony Orchestra
The New Jersey Symphony Orchestra is a symphony orchestra located in the state of New Jersey, United States. Philip James founded the orchestra in 1922. The orchestra is headquartered in Newark, New Jersey. Neeme Järvi, the NJSO's music director from 2005 to 2009, is currently the orchestra's...
from 1986 to 1993. In 1985 he was awarded the Seaver/National Endowment for the Arts Conductors Award
Seaver/National Endowment for the Arts Conductors Award
The Seaver/National Endowment for the Arts Conductors Award was an award for conductors in the United States.-History:The award was established in 1985 as the Affiliate Artists' Seaver Conducting Award. The award was being given every two or three years. The award was conceived by the Seaver...
.
From 1988–1992, Wolff was Principal Conductor of the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra
Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra
The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra , based in Saint Paul, Minnesota, is the United States' only full-time professional chamber orchestra...
and then served as its Music Director from 1992–2000. He was Principal Conductor of the Grant Park Music Festival from 1994–1997, and from 1997-2006 was Chief Conductor of the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra (which changed its name to the hr Symphony Orchestra in 2005).
Wolff has conducted major orchestras around the world, including the foremost American orchestras - the New York Philharmonic
New York Philharmonic
The New York Philharmonic is a symphony orchestra based in New York City in the United States. It is one of the American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five"...
, Boston Symphony Orchestra
Boston Symphony Orchestra
The Boston Symphony Orchestra is an orchestra based in Boston, Massachusetts. It is one of the five American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five". Founded in 1881, the BSO plays most of its concerts at Boston's Symphony Hall and in the summer performs at the Tanglewood Music Center...
, Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
The Chicago Symphony Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Chicago, Illinois. It is one of the five American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five". Founded in 1891, the Symphony makes its home at Orchestra Hall in Chicago and plays a summer season at the Ravinia Festival...
, Cleveland Orchestra
Cleveland Orchestra
The Cleveland Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Cleveland, Ohio. It is one of the five American orchestras informally referred to as the "Big Five". Founded in 1918, the orchestra plays most of its concerts at Severance Hall...
, Philadelphia Orchestra
Philadelphia Orchestra
The Philadelphia Orchestra is a symphony orchestra based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States. One of the "Big Five" American orchestras, it was founded in 1900...
, Los Angeles Philharmonic, and San Francisco Symphony - and the London Symphony Orchestra
London Symphony Orchestra
The London Symphony Orchestra is a major orchestra of the United Kingdom, as well as one of the best-known orchestras in the world. Since 1982, the LSO has been based in London's Barbican Centre.-History:...
, Philharmonia (London), Orchestre National de France, Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra
Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra
The Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra is one of the the oldest symphony orchestras in the world...
, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra is a British orchestra based in Birmingham, England. The Orchestra's current chief executive, appointed in 1999, is Stephen Maddock...
, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Berlin and Bavarian Radio Orchestras, and orchestras in Australia, Japan, Korea, and Canada. He has recorded extensively for Teldec, Sony and others, has been nominated three times for a Grammy and has twice won the Cannes Classical Award. His discography includes the complete Beethoven symphonies with the Frankfurt Radio Orchestra. As a conductor he has accompanied recordings by Rostropovich, Yo-Yo Ma, Joshua Bell, Hilary Hahn
Hilary Hahn
Hilary Hahn is an American violinist.Hahn was born in Lexington, Virginia. Beginning her studies when she was three years old at Baltimore's Peabody Institute, she was admitted to the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia at age ten, and in 1991, made her major orchestral debut with the...
, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Dawn Upshaw
Dawn Upshaw
Dawn Upshaw is an American soprano described as "one of the most consequential performers of our time" by the Los Angeles Times. The recipient of several Grammy Awards and Edison Prize-winning discs, Upshaw is at home both in opera and art song, and in repertoire from Baroque to contemporary...
, Thomas Hampson, Jennifer Larmore
Jennifer Larmore
Jennifer Larmore is an American mezzo-soprano opera singer, noted for coloratura and bel canto.- Career :Jennifer Larmore is an American mezzo-soprano, well known for her versatility, natural beauty and stage craft...
, and jazz guitarist John Scofield.
In addition to his performing career, Wolff is Director of Orchestras and teaches orchestral conducting at the New England Conservatory of Music
New England Conservatory of Music
The New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, is the oldest independent school of music in the United States.The conservatory is home each year to 750 students pursuing undergraduate and graduate studies along with 1400 more in its Preparatory School as well as the School of...
in Boston, Massachusetts.
Wolff lives in Boston with his wife, the harpist and author Judith Kogan, and their three sons.