Thomas Zehetmair built a thriving career marked by versatility across several musical domains. Recognized globally as a skilled violinist, he also established a well-regarded string quartet for chamber music performances, took on prominent conducting responsibilities, and explored a broad spectrum of works ranging from Baroque compositions to modern pieces in each capacity. By the mid-2020s, he served as conductor for the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra, the Orchestre National d'Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, and the Irish Chamber Orchestra, in addition to holding the conductor laureate position with the Royal Northern Sinfonia.
Born on November 23, 1961, in Salzburg, Austria, Zehetmair received his initial violin instruction at age five from his parents, both accomplished players of the instrument. He pursued advanced training at the Salzburg Mozarteum with his father Helmut and later studied under Nathan Milstein and Max Rostal. His first recording appeared in the late 1970s, featuring Mozart's music, and during the 1980s he worked diligently to build his presence on the international stage, achieving regular acclaimed performances at prominent venues in cities such as New York, Berlin, and Tokyo by 1990. In 1993 he assumed his initial conducting role as co-director of the Camerata Bern, and the next year he created the Zehetmair Quartet, which led him to balance solo recitals, ensemble playing, and orchestral direction.
His musical selections extend from Baroque pieces, with a focus on Bach, through the Classical era of Mozart, Haydn, and Beethoven to 20th-century figures like Bartók, Schoenberg, and Berg, while also embracing present-day creators including Heinz Holliger, Valentin Silvestrov, and Wilhelm Killmayer. For concertos by Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, and similar earlier composers, he commonly supplies his own cadenzas and often directs the ensemble from the solo violin position in these pieces as well as Bach's works. Early repertoire benefits from his application of period performance techniques, which he acquired through studies with Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Chamber collaborations have included partnerships with distinguished artists such as pianists Alfred Brendel and Cyprien Katsaris along with violinist Gidon Kremer. Leading orchestras worldwide have featured him as soloist, among them the Vienna Philharmonic, the NHK Symphony from Tokyo, and the Boston Symphony.
From 2002 until 2014 Zehetmair directed the Northern Sinfonia, which became the Royal Northern Sinfonia in 2013, earning the title of conductor laureate thereafter. Between 2012 and 2014 he led the Orchestre de Chambre de Paris as music director. He then held the principal conductor post at the Musikkollegium Winterthur from 2016 to 2021. Starting in 2019 he became chief conductor of the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra, and in 2021 he took the principal conductor position with the Orchestre National d'Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. In the subsequent year he assumed the roles of principal conductor and artistic director for the Irish Chamber Orchestra.
Numerous recordings by Zehetmair appear on various labels such as EMI, Philips, and Warner Classics. An album presenting Bach's solo sonatas and partitas for violin came out on ECM New Series in 2019, the same year he guided the Musikkollegium Winterthur through Brahms' Symphonies. He revisited ECM New Series in 2023 alongside violist Ruth Killius and the Royal Northern Sinfonia for a disc of works by Bartók, Beethoven, and John Casken.
