Richard Bonynge studied at the New South Wales Conservatorium of Music and the Royal College of Music, London. As a conductor, his extensive knowledge of the human voice and his instinctive sympathy for singers has been the inspiration for many of the great artists of our time.
He has held the positions of artistic director of Vancouver Opera and music director of the Australian Opera. Honours include CBE and the AO (Order of Australia), Commandeur de l'Ordre National des Arts et des Lettres and Soci d'onore, R Accademia Filarmonica di Bologna.
Richard Bonynge is acknowledged as a scholar of bel canto opera, 19th century French opera and 19th century ballet music. He has conducted at most of the world's great opera houses including La Scala, Metropolitan Opera, New York and Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. His repertoire consists mainly of 18th and 19th century opera, including the bel canto repertoire.
Richard Bonynge has been responsible for the revival of many operas, notably Les Huguenots (Meyerbeer), Semiramide and Sigismondo (Rossini), La fille du regiment, Maria Stuarda, Anna Bolena, Lucrezia Borgia (Donizetti), Esclarmonde, Therèse (Massenet), Medea (Pacini), Orfeo (Haydn), I masnadieri (Verdi).
He has conducted recordings of over 50 complete operas and many video recordings. He is married to the soprano Joan Sutherland.
