Biography
Ralf Kircher studied at the Hochschule für Musik in Vienna; composition (H. Gattermeyer), orchestral conducting (K. Österreicher), choral conducting (G. Theuring), piano accompaniment (H. Goertz) and percussion (H. Berger). In 1994 he was awarded his diploma with Highest Distinction, and was presented an award of outstanding achievements by the Austrian Bundesminister für Unterricht und Kunst. In 1998 he joined the renown conducting class at the Sibelius Academy in Finland. Ralf Kircher has actively appeared for concerts and recordings with Norwegian Radio Orchestra, Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra and some of Austrian leading orchestras: Wiener Philharmoniker, Wiener Symphoniker, Wiener Staatsoper Orchester, ORF - Sinfonieorchester and Niederösterreichisches Tonkünstlerorchester. He has recorded works of Mozart and Strauss with the Schönbrunn Schloss Orchester. From 1997-1998 he was an artistic director of Schönbrunn Schloss Orchester and since 1999 he has been conductor and artistic director of the Radio Salonki Orchestra in Helsinki.
In the course of last seasons he was participating in several productions of the Finnish National Opera: among them were Strauss‘ Arabella, Mozart’s Entführung aus dem Serail and J. Adams‘ The Death of Klinghoffer. During the summer 2002 he participated in the production of Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde at the Savonlinna Opera Festival in Finland. Ralf Kircher is currently associated with the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra in Helsinki. One most outstanding event was a nation-wide radio broadcasted performance of Richard Strauss‘ Don Juan, Gustav Mahler’s Lieder aus des Knaben Wunderhorn and Schmidt’s Symphony No. 4 in C major. He also joined the Finnish Radio Orchestra for a nation-wide television broadcast from Finlandia Hall in Helsinki performing works of Johann Strauss.