Hartmut Haenchen's musical integrity has assured him a place in the forefront of musical life. Brought up in the former East Germany, he has seen his career reborn in the new Europe, where his breadth of experience and depth of understanding have won respect, while audiences have warmed to the humanity of his interpretations. He is particularly renowned and respected for his interpretations of Richard Strauss, Wagner and Mahler. Despite the severe restrictions of the old East German regime, Hartmut Haenchen was given special permission to work with the West’s finest ensembles, including the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. Continual interference by the authorities, however, led to severe setbacks in his career and he subsequently made his home in the Netherlands, where a new public recognised his genius, and where eventually he became Music Director of both the Netherlands Philharmonic and the Netherlands Opera. In October 2008 he was awarded the Federal Cross of Merit of the German Republic, in recognition of his outstanding contribution to music and the arts.