Gérard Korsten

South African conductor and violinist born in Pretoria, South Africa in 1960. He studied violin at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia with Ivan Galamian as well as in Salzburg with Sándor Végh. He was initially concertmaster of the Camerata Salzburg, and in 1987 took up the post of concertmaster with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe for nine years. Engagements followed as music director at the Teatro Lirico di Cagliari (Sardinia), music director of the London Mozart Players, chief conductor in Uppsala Kammarorkester between 1994-1998 and at the Opera house in Pretoria, and as chief conductor of the Symphony Orchestra Vorarlberg in Bregenz. Korsten is a jury member of the Internationaler Musikwettbewerb Pacem in Terris [de]. His father was South African tenor singer Gé Korsten.