Richard Schwennicke

Conductor

Richard Schwennicke made his conducting debut with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra in the 2024–25 season and was been appointed Music Director of Iceland National Opera from autumn 2026, further strengthening his ties with Icelandic musical life.

His career began at the opera houses in Kassel and Hannover, and in 2023 he became Head of Music and Kapellmeister at Staatstheater Darmstadt, where he has conducted works including Chaya Czernowin's Pnima and Offenbach's Les Contes d'Hoffmann. In 2024, Schwennicke joined the music department of the Vienna State Opera.

He studied piano, conducting and chamber music in Hannover, and is also active as a composer and participant in collaborative projects.