Dennis Russell Davies

Internationally acclaimed musician Dennis Russell Davies is avidly sought out for his extraordinary breadth of repertoire, technical brilliance and fearless music-making. A maverick in his field, he is hailed as “one of the few conductors whose unquestioned commitment to music of our age has not severed his connections to the standard repertory.” An esteemed presence who consistently remains at the forefront of both orchestral and operatic worlds, Davies is also an accomplished pianist, and is in demand by orchestras, composers and fellow musicians worldwide for his inspiring collaborations and interpretive mastery.

Davies has held music directorships of prestigious orchestras worldwide for over 40 uninterrupted years, while frequently guest conducting with major orchestras and opera companies throughout the world. He is currently Music Director and Chief Conductor of the Bruckner Orchester Linz and of the Linz Opera, and Music Director and Chief Conductor of the Basel Symphony Orchestra in Switzerland. As artistic leader of the Linz Opera, he inaugurated the new Linz Opera with the world premiere of Philip Glass’s The Lost in April 2013. Named Music Director of the Orchestre Français des Jeunes in 2011, Davies leads this ensemble in annual summer and winter tours that include concerts throughout France, Germany and Austria. Additionally, Davies is Professor Emeritus of Orchestral Conducting at the Salzburg Mozarteum, as well as Conductor Laureate of the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra. In the U.S., he continues as Conductor Laureate of the American Composers Orchestra, which he co-founded.

As conductor and pianist, Davies has released over 80 recordings, earning numerous awards.  Recent recording highlights include the world premiere recordings of Philip Glass’s Cello Concerto No. 2 Naqoyqatsi, with cellist Matt Haimovitz and the Cincinnati Symphony, and Glass’s Ninth Symphony with the Bruckner Orchestra Linz, both released on iTunes and CD by Orange Mountain Music; complete Bruckner Symphonies with the Bruckner Orchester Linz for Arte Nova/SONY BMG; and the complete Haydn Symphonies with the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra for SONY Classical/SONY BMG, an 11-year Mercedes-Benz Haydn recording project. With the conclusion of the latter two cycles, Davies has recorded the complete symphonies of Bruckner, Haydn and Glass.

Davies was born in Toledo, Ohio, and graduated from The Juilliard School. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.