Rainer Hersch (born 7 November 1962) is a British conductor, actor, writer and comedian known for his comical take on classical music. He has toured in more than 30 countries and has broadcast extensively, principally for the

BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board ex ...

. His radio series include ''All Classical Music Explained'' (

BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC' ...

, 1997); ''Rainer Hersch's 20th Century Retrospective'' (

BBC Radio 3 BBC Radio 3 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It replaced the BBC Third Programme in 1967 and broadcasts classical music and opera, with jazz, world music, Radio drama, drama, High culture, culture and the arts ...

, 1999) and ''All the Right Notes, Not Necessarily in the Right Order'' (

, 2003 and 2006).

Early life

Hersch read Economics at

Lancaster University Lancaster University (legally The University of Lancaster) is a public university, public research university in Lancaster, Lancashire, Lancaster, Lancashire, England. The university was established in 1964 by royal charter, as one of several pla ...

, where his fellow students included

Andy Serkis Andrew Clement Serkis (born 20 April 1964) is an English actor, director, and producer. He is best known for his performance capture roles comprising motion capture acting, animation, and voice work for computer-generated characters such as Goll ...

and

James May James Daniel May (born 16 January 1963) is an English television presenter and journalist. He is best known as a co-presenter of the motoring programme ''Top Gear (2002 TV series), Top Gear'' alongside Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond from ...

. A

Monty Python Monty Python (also collectively known as the Pythons) were a British comedy troupe who created the sketch comedy television show '' Monty Python's Flying Circus'', which first aired on the BBC in 1969. Forty-five episodes were made over four ...

fan in his youth, he joined the Revue Group, the university's student comedy troupe, and began his writing career. He was a member of

Cartmel College Cartmel College is a residential college of Lancaster University, England and was founded in 1968. It is named after the Cartmel peninsula of Furness, "Lancashire north of the sands" which was once known as ''The Land of Cartmel''. The college b ...

and served as JCR president – a position usually held by final year students – during his first term. In July 2015 he was presented with an Alumni Award by

for graduates who have made a substantial contribution to their field and developed an outstanding international reputation.

Career

Comedian

In December 1987 Hersch made his debut on the London stand-up circuit as part of a comic double act ''The Tebbits'' with fellow student Peter Wylie. In 1992 he gave up his job as Touring Manager of the

London Festival Orchestra The London Festival Orchestra (LFO) was established in the 1950s as the 'house orchestra' for Decca Records. In 1980 it was incorporated as an independent performing orchestra under Ross Pople. At least in the world of pop music, the orchestra is b ...

to become a professional comedian and since that time has performed exclusively as a solo artist. In 1996 Rainer wrote and presented his stand-up show ''All Classical Music Explained'' (ACME) at

Edinburgh Festival Fringe The Edinburgh Festival Fringe (also referred to as The Fringe, Edinburgh Fringe, or Edinburgh Fringe Festival) is the world's largest arts and media festival, which in 2019 spanned 25 days and featured more than 59,600 performances of 3,841 dif ...

, one of thirteen such Edinburgh appearances. Billed as "a simple and stupid guide to questions like 'why is organ music so boring?'; 'what does a conductor actually do?' and 'how to clap in the wrong place and mean it'" ACME has since been performed over 300 times in four continents. It established him as an original comic voice and the classical music theme, which has dominated all his subsequent activities. Hersch continues to tour the world presenting his one-man shows or as guest conductor in comedy concerts with orchestra. Among his many other commitments, he is currently conductor/host of the annual ''Johann Strauss Gala'' – an extensive, UK-wide tour promoted by

Raymond Gubbay Raymond Jonathan Gubbay, CBE (born 2 April 1946) is a British impresario, active primarily in London, the UK, and Europe. He has worked with classical artists including Anna Netrebko, Jonas Kaufmann, Bryn Terfel, Joseph Calleja, Rolando Villaz ...

Ltd. and Artistic Director of the ''April Fools Day Concert'' at the

Royal Festival Hall The Royal Festival Hall is a 2,700-seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London. It is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, not far from Hungerford Bridge, in the London Borough of Lambeth. It is a Grade I l ...

, an event he instigated in 2009.

Musician

Hersch studied piano as a private pupil of

Norma Fisher Norma Fisher (born 1940) is an English concert pianist and professor of piano living in London. Illness shortened her performing career in the 1990s and she turned instead to teaching. Biography Norma Fisher was born in London of Russian-Polish ...

. He studied conducting for three years at

The Conservatoire The Conservatoire (formally The Blackheath Conservatoire of Music and the Arts) is an educational charity in Blackheath, on the border of the London boroughs of Greenwich and Lewisham. The Conservatoire of Music and the Arts took on its curren ...

in London with Denise Ham and in masterclasses at the

Royal Academy of Music The Royal Academy of Music (RAM) in London, England, is the oldest conservatoire in the UK, founded in 1822 by John Fane and Nicolas-Charles Bochsa. It received its royal charter in 1830 from King George IV with the support of the first Duke of ...

with

János Fürst János Fürst (8 August 1935 – 3 January 2007) was a Hungarian-born conductor and violinist. Biography Fürst originally studied the violin at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in his native Budapest. After the 1956 Soviet invasion of Hun ...

and

George Hurst George Hurst may refer to: * George Hurst (conductor) (1926–2012), British conductor * George Hurst (artist) (born 1933), American leather artist * George Samuel Hurst (1927–2010), health physicist, scientist, inventor, educator and innovator * ...

. He has conducted many orchestras around the world including The

Philharmonia Orchestra The Philharmonia Orchestra is a British orchestra based in London. It was founded in 1945 by Walter Legge, a classical music record producer for EMI. Among the conductors who worked with the orchestra in its early years were Richard Strauss, W ...

City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO) is a British orchestra based in Birmingham, England. It is the resident orchestra at Symphony Hall: a B:Music Venue in Birmingham, which has been its principal performance venue since 1991. Its a ...

Queensland Symphony Orchestra Queensland Symphony Orchestra (QSO) is an Australian symphony orchestra in the state of Queensland. The orchestra is based in the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's building in South Bank. The Orchestra is funded by private corporations, the ...

Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra The Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra (TSO) is a symphony orchestra based in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. It is the smallest of the six orchestras established by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). History The Tasmanian Symphony Orchestr ...

and

Saint Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra The Saint Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra (russian: Симфонический оркестр Санкт-Петербургской филармонии, ''Symphonic Orchestra of the Saint Petersburg Philharmonia'') is a Russian orchestra based ...

. Soloists who have participated in his comedy concerts include

Alfred Brendel Alfred Brendel KBE (born 5 January 1931) is an Austrian classical pianist, poet, author, composer, and lecturer who is known particularly for his performances of Mozart, Schubert, Schoenberg, and Beethoven.Stephen Plaistow"Brendel, Alfred" ''G ...

Nicola Benedetti Nicola Joy Nadia Benedetti (born 20 July 1987) is an Italian-British classical solo violinist and festival director. Her ability was recognised when she was a child, including the award of BBC Young Musician of the Year when she was 16. She w ...

Marc-André Hamelin Marc-André Hamelin, OC, CQ (born September 5, 1961), is a Canadian virtuoso pianist and composer. Hamelin is recognized worldwide for the originality and technical proficiency of his performances of the classic repertoire. He has received 11 Gr ...

, Paul Lewis and Dame

Evelyn Glennie Dame Evelyn Elizabeth Ann Glennie, (born 19 July 1965) is a Scottish people, Scottish percussionist. She was selected as one of the two laureates for the Polar Music Prize of 2015. Early life Glennie was born in Methlick, Aberdeenshire in Sco ...

Personal life

Rainer Hersch is the grandson of the artist Eugen Hersch and the great-great-great grandson of the playwright Hermann Hersch. Born in the UK of a German father and English mother, Hersch is fluent in both languages. He also speaks Spanish and French. He is married to marketing executive Cornelia Dussinger and lives in London.

Credits

Radio credits

Include: ''Front Row'' (BBC Radio 4); ''The Today Programme'' (BBC Radio 4); ''Counterpoint'' (BBC Radio 4); ''Quote...Unquote'' (BBC Radio 4); ''Broadcasting House'' (BBC Radio 4); ''Excess Baggage'' (BBC Radio 4); ''Loose Ends'' (BBC Radio 4, 1996–2003); ''The Right Note'' (BBC Radio 4); ''I'm Glad You Asked Me That'' (BBC Radio 4); ''Private Passions'' (BBC Radio 3); ''In Tune'' (BBC Radio 3); ''Jammin'' (BBC Radio 2); ''Definitely Not the Opera'' (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Comedy Hour). ''All The Right Notes, Not Necessarily In The Right Order'' (BBC Radio 4, Series 1: September 2002; Series 2: January 2006). ''Rainer Hersch's Club Mozart'' (Classic FM, December 2001; April 2002; August 2002). ''Quando, Quando, Quando'' (BBC Radio 4, November 1999). ''Rainer Hersch's 20th Century Retrospective'' (BBC Radio 3, December 1998). ''Rainer Hersch's All Classical Music Explained'' (BBC Radio 4, October 1998).

TV credits

Include: ''See Hear'' (BBC 2); ''The World Stands Up'' (Paramount Comedy Channel); ''Carlton Stand-Up for the Homeless'' (ITV); '' The Big Stage'' (Channel 5); ''Team Captain with The Entertainment Game'' (BBC1 – 23 shows); ''How Do They Do That'' (ITV); ''Selina Scott'' (BskyB); ''The Big Breakfast'' (Channel 4); ''Quatsch'' (Pro Sieben – Germany).

Recordings

*''All Classical Music Explained'' ASIN: B00066KX9G *The 2013 April Fools Day Concert DVD

Live shows

* 2015: Christmas No.1 Singalong * 2014: The 2014 April Fools Day Concert (Orchestra) * 2013: The 2013 April Fools Day Concert (Orchestra) * 2012: The 2012 April Fools Day Concert (Orchestra) * 2011: Mozart: Ze Komplete Hystery (one-man show) * 2009: Classic Relief at the Royal Festival Hall (Orchestra) * 2009: Last Night of the Proms... Ever! (Orchestra) * 2007: At Last! The 1977 New Year's Day Concert (Orchestra) * 2006: Mozart’s Back! (three-man show) * 2005: Organtastic! (two-man show) * 2004: Rainer Hersch's Victor Borge (formerly 'Borge Again!') (one-man show) * 2003: Rainer Hersch's Instruments of Mass Destruction (one-man show) * 2002: Rainer Hersch Will Sell Out (one-man show) * 2001: Club Mozart (one-man show) * 2000: Rainer Hersch @ Music dot Comedy (one-man show) * 1997: All Classical Music Explained: The Masterclass (one-man show) * 1996: All Classical Music Explained (one-man show) * 1995: Was God British? (one-man show) * 1994: The Mass Bands of the Grenadier Guards and R.A.F. Flypast + Support (one-man show)

References

External links

website

performing with Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra

performing on TV at the Quatsch Comedy Club 20th Anniversary in German
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hersch, Rainer British classical musicians British male conductors (music) Humor in classical music Alumni of Lancaster University Alumni of Cartmel College, Lancaster British people of German descent 1962 births Living people 20th-century English comedians 21st-century English comedians 21st-century British conductors (music) 21st-century British male musicians