Ola Rudner

Biography

Chief Conductor of Württembergische Philharmonie in Reutlingen

The Swedish conductor Ola Rudner started his career as a high-profile violinist (he is a prize winner of the Paganini competition and was also the assistant of the legendary Sandor Vègh) and concertmaster of various orchestras such as the Camerata Salzburg, the Volksopera Vienna and the Vienna Symphony Orchestra. 1995 he founded the Philharmonia Wien. From 2001- 2003 he was Chief Conductor of the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra in Australia. 2003 -2006 he was Chief Conductor of the Haydn Orchestra of Bolzano. From September 2008 he is the Chief Conductor of Württembergische Philharmonie in Reutlingen.

Since 1997 Ola Rudner has conducted all the major Australian orchestras: the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and the orchestras of Melbourne, Queensland, Tasmania, Adelaide and Perth . In Scandinavia he has conducted most of the orchestras including the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Oslo Philharmonic, Swedish Chamber Orchestra and the orchestras in Trondheim, Bergen, Aalborg, Malmö, Helsingborg etc.

Before his appoinment with Württembergische Philharmonie he performed annually with Philharmonia Wien at the Musikverein Wien, and went on tour to Japan, Poland, Yugoslavia, Italy, Austria and Turkey.
He also performed with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, RAI Torino, Orchestra Fondazione Arena di Verona, the Slovenian Philharmonic, Luxembourg Philharmonic, the SWR- Symphony Orchestra Stuttgart, Mozarteum Orchestra Salzburg, Hong Kong Philharmonic, Orchestra del Teatro la Fenice, Orchestra Sinfonica di Roma, Warsaw Philharmonic, Teatro Nacional de Sao Carlos Lissabon, Bremen Philharmonic, Orchestra del Teatro V.Bellini di Catania, London Philharmonic Orchestra and Wiener Symphoniker.

Ola Rudner is also an important opera conductor, he is regularly invited to the opera houses of Australia, Austria and Italy. His repertoire includes Mozart’s Magic Flute, Così, Figaro, Titus and Idomeneo, Beethoven’s Fidelio; Carmen and Verdi’s Il Trovatore and La Traviata. Operettas by
Offenbach, Strauss, Lehar and Kalman. In February 2007 he conducted Carmen with great success in Salzburg, followed by equally successful Don Pasquale and Barbiere di Siviglia in 2008.

Following his appoinment as Chiefconductor of Württembergische Philharmonie he has transformed the orchestra into one of Germanys top regional orchestras - wellknown in Germany and internationally. As a result he regularly takes the orchestra on tours to Spain, Austria, Poland, Hungary, Switzerland and Italy including Halls like Wiener Musikverein, Liszt Academy Budapest, Tonhalle Zürich, KKL Luzern, Beethoven Festival Warsaw, Palau de la Musica Valencia, Ravello Festival und Sala Verdi Milano.
He also finds time to work with orchestras like National Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Tiroler Symphonieorchester Innsbruck, Orchestra Verdi Milano, Orchestra Sinfonica di Roma, Hong Kong Philharmonic, Orchestra Fondazione Arena di Verona , Wiener Symphoniker, Sinfonieorchester Münster, Latvian National Symphony Orchestra, Pannon Philharmonic, Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, Odense Symphony Orchestra, Swedish Chamber Orchestra , Stuttgarter Kammerorchester, Krakow Philharmonic, Polish National Radio Orchestra Katowice, Danish Radio Orchestra, Copenhagen Philharmonic, Aarhus Symphony Orchestra, Aalborg Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Filarmonica Teatro Comunale di Bologna, Maggio Musicale Fiorentina.

2010 he toured Japan with the Symphonie Orchester der Wiener Volksoper. The Suntory Hall in Tokyo immediately reinvited him for tours 2012, 2014 and 2017.

Ola Rudner has an extensive repertoire ranging from Bach to contemporary composers like Ferran Cruxient or compatriot Rolf Martinsson who also dedicated a piece to Rudner and his Orchestra.
His special attention concerns the interpretation of the classical repertoire from Haydn to Brahms and Bruckner for which he has received highest critical acclaim.

He has recorded for BIS, Harmonia Mundi, Australian label ABC Classics, Camerata Tokyo, Amadeus, Venice Channel (DVD – HD). With the Württembergische Philharmonie he has recorded “Romantic Ouvertures”, Mendelssohn’s 3rd - 5th Symphonie and Midsummernights Dream for ARS Productions and Grieg's Peer Gynt Suites for Antes Edition.

He is the receiver of the order of merit for services rendered to the Republic of Austria.
For his outstanding musical work in Australia he received the "Centenary Medal"