Donald Runnicles

I was born in Edinburgh and I lived there until I was 21-years-old before working in Opera in Germany and then moving to America.

I decided to become a conductor because I wanted to express myself on the world’s largest and most fantastic musical instrument. When I received my honorary degree from Edinburgh University I felt enormous pride and gratitude for being an alumnus of such a distinguished faculty. Scotland is so special on the international scene; foreigners have such pride in making their claim to having Scottish forefathers!

But my greatest achievement is being blessed with three such wonderful daughters: Alexandra, Tamara Sophie and Ashley Isolde. I spent Christmas and New Year with them on the snowy ski slopes of the Sierras and Rockies.

However, since I was conducting the Dallas and Atlanta Symphony Orchestras in January 2007, and I will be in Europe from February onwards, I will be travelling a lot. As a result, I do not get to spend as much time as I would like with my family but my children do travel with me as often as school will allow.

This Easter I will be with my family in Vienna where we have a home – oh yes, and three performances of Parsifal at the Vienna State Opera to conduct too!

I come to the Edinburgh Festival every year because it’s great music in a great city. Scotland’s music reputation on the international scene is one of its best kept secrets. My family like Scotland as well; the children love to visit their grandmother and the veritable clan of aunts, nieces and nephews. My wife, Elizabeth, and I were married in Edinburgh at the Queen Street Registry Office in December 1992.

The children have also begun to come along to the concerts. In fact, viola, piano and harp are all played happily and diligently in our house. And so the children have plans to follow in their father's footsteps, through airports, hotels and foreign countries!

Although I feel I am blessed to live in Northern California, I do miss the long, delicious twilight of a Scottish summer night, which we do not have in San Francisco.