Hugh Wolff

Who is Hugh Wolff?

Hugh Wolff is an American conductor.

He was born in Paris while his father was serving in the U. S. Foreign Service, then spent his primary-school years in London. He received his higher education at Harvard and at Peabody Conservatory. Between Harvard and Peabody, he spent a year in Paris where he studied composition with Olivier Messiaen and conducting with Charles Bruck. At Peabody, he studied piano with Leon Fleisher.

He began his career in 1979 as assistant conductor to Mstislav Rostropovich at the National Symphony Orchestra, in Washington, D.C. and as music director of the orchestra of Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Wolff then served as music director of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra from 1986 to 1993. In 1985 he was awarded the Seaver/National Endowment for the Arts Conductors Award.

From 1988–1992, Wolff was Principal Conductor of the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra and then served as its Music Director from 1992–2000. He was Principal Conductor of the Grant Park Music Festival from 1994–1997, and from 1997-2006 was Chief Conductor of the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra.