Dawid Runtz - NOSPR

Dawid Runtz is the Chief Conductor of the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra and the Principal Conductor of the Polish Royal Opera. He is widely recognised for his impeccable technique, profound understanding of complex scores, extraordinary sensitivity, and evocative performances.

In his third season with the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra, Mr Runtz is set to lead eight distinct programs. His repertoire includes performances of Mahler’s Symphony No. 2, Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite, Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra, Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3, and Penderecki’s Symphony No. 2 "Christmas", among others. In previous seasons, he garnered critical acclaim for conducting with Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra pieces such as Strauss's Eine Alpensinfonie, Brahms's Symphony No. 3, Orff's Carmina Burana, Beethoven's Symphony No. 9, and Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring. In January 2020, Runtz led a concert at the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome, celebrating Croatia's official assumption of the presidency of the Council of the European Union, which ultimately determined his tenure with the ensemble.

His recent and upcoming guest conductor appearances encompass debuts with the Prague Philharmonia, Sinfonieorchester Liechtenstein, Orquesta Sinfónica de Málaga, Oldenburgisches Staatsorchester, and Orquesta Classica Santa Cecilia. He has further collaborations lined up with esteemed orchestras such as the Warsaw Philharmonic, Cracow Philharmonic, Polish Radio National Symphony Orchestra, and Rubinstein Philharmonic Orchestra, among others.

Other projects to date include his successful Japanese debut with the Pacific Festival Orchestra in Sapporo, a Lithuanian tour with the Sinfonia Varsovia, performances with the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra and Polish Sinfonia Inventus Orchestra during significant festivals such as the Krzysztof Penderecki Festival, La Folle Journée Festival in Warsaw and Ludwig van Beethoven Easter Festival.

Mr Runtz made his opera debut in 2015 with the Warsaw Chamber Opera's production of Przybylski's Orphee. He has since collaborated with the Grand Theatre-National Opera in Warsaw on productions of Mozart's La clemenza di Tito and Die Zauberflöte, Verdi's Nabucco, and a ballet performance of The Tempest. His association with the Polish Royal Opera witnessed the successful premieres of masterpieces like Rossini's Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro, Così fan tutte, La finta giardiniera, and performances of Moniuszko's The Haunted Manor. Notably, he attended the Riccardo Muti Italian Opera Academy in 2016 and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra masterclass in 2017, under the mentorship of Daniele Gatti. He also participated in the Tanglewood Conducting Seminar and worked with the Boston Symphony Orchestra as an Assistant Conductor (2018). Additionally, Runtz has worked with Zbigniew Preisner on the recording of music for Valley of Shadows, Lian Qu 1980 and Man of God.

Mr Runtz is a laureate and the Audience Prize at the 1st International Hong Kong Conducting Competition (2018) and is currently a lecturer at the Fryderyk Chopin Music University in Warsaw, where he recently earned a doctoral degree in Musical Arts: Conducting.