Hans Vonk (conductor)

Hans Vonk ( born June 18, 1942 in Amsterdam, † August 29, 2004 ) was a Dutch conductor.

Hans Vonk studied at the Amsterdam Conservatory piano and orchestra conducting. Subsequently, he attended courses at Hermann Scherchen in Siena, Salzburg and Hilversum. From 1966 to 1969 he was conductor of the Dutch National Ballet, took him to Bernard Haitink as assistants for the period 1969 to 1973 at the Concertgebouw. In 1973 Vonk the management of the Philharmonic Orchestra of Radio Hilversum (until 1979 ). From 1976 he was also music director of the Netherlands Opera and deputy director of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. In 1980 he took over the residence Orchestra in The Hague. From 1985 to 1990 he was chief conductor of the Dresden Staatskapelle and the Dresden Semperoper. From 1991 to 1997 Vonk worked as chief conductor of the WDR Symphony Orchestra. Vonk was in his last professional station music director and conductor of the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra. This position he gave in 2002 after approximately six years due to health problems. Vonk was suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis ( ALS).