Henk Guittart

Henk Guittart (b.1953) is a renowned violist, conductor, and educator with an extensive career in classical and contemporary music. He served as violist for the Schoenberg Quartet (1976–2009) and founder/director of the Schoenberg Ensemble (1974–1988). From 2013–2023, he held the position of International Tutor at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, UK, and was Artistic Director of the Orlando Festival (2014–2022). His roles included chamber music coaching, conducting, and academic leadership at institutions worldwide, including the Banff Centre for the Arts (2010–2023).

Education: Studied viola under Jürgen Kussmaul and conducting under Louis Stotijn at The Hague Conservatory (Netherlands). His research focuses on 20th-century repertoire, particularly works by Schoenberg, Berg, Webern, and contemporary composers. He has commissioned over 50 new works and arranged major orchestral pieces for chamber ensembles, including Mahler’s *Song of the Earth* and Schoenberg’s *Violin Concerto*.

Research interests span Second Viennese School performance practices, historical editions, and contemporary chamber music. Awards include the prestigious 3-M Music Laureate (1987) and recognition from the Arnold Schoenberg Institute. Guittart’s legacy includes 60+ recordings, 38 CDs with the Schoenberg Quartet, and leadership roles in ensembles like Gruppo Montebello. He currently teaches at the Arnold Schoenberg Center in Vienna and directs Residart in Italy.

Grants and collaborations include long-term work with the Banff Centre and Dutch conservatoires. His pedagogical approach emphasizes authenticity and precision in interpreting modernist and contemporary repertoires. He has also served as artistic advisor for Henle Urtext Editions, refining editions of Zemlinsky and Schoenberg.