Richard Tognetti

Richard Tognetti, an Australian violinist, conductor, and composer, came into the world in Canberra before spending his formative years in Wollongong under the guidance of William Primrose. He later enrolled at the Conservatorium High School in Sydney to pursue violin studies with Alice Waten. His early achievements included victory in the National Youth Concerto Competition during 1980, after which he continued his training with Igor Ozim at the Bern Conservatory. The year 1989 brought him the Tschumi Prize along with his appointment as artistic director and leader of the Australian Chamber Orchestra. Tognetti has appeared as a soloist alongside performers spanning multiple genres while employing Baroque, modern, and electric violins in his work. He has also created chamber-orchestra transcriptions of works by Beethoven, Paganini, Satie, Janacek, Szymanowski, and Ravel. Among the ensembles he has joined are the Handel & Haydn Society of Boston, the Hong Kong Philharmonic, the Tapiola Sinfonietta, the Irish Chamber Orchestra, Camerata Salzburg, the Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg, the Nordic Chamber Orchestra, and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. Beyond his role with the Australian Chamber Orchestra, he serves as artistic director of the Maribor Festival in Slovenia. In 2010 he received the distinction of Officer of the Order of Australia in recognition of his charitable efforts and his impact on Australian music. His recording credits encompass releases on the ABC Classics, BIS, Chandos, and Hyperion labels.