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The English harpsichordist and conductor, Nicholas Kraemer, began his career as a harpsichordist, quickly moving from playing continuo at the back of the orchestra to directing from the harpsichord at the front. He was hasrpsichordist with Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields and English Baroque Soloists. While performing with the English Chamber Orchestra in the 1970’s, his repertory widened, taking in the 19th and 20th centuries as well as the Baroque. In 1978, he formed Raglan Baroque Players, performances on original instruments, often heard on the BBC Radio 3..
Nicholas Kraemer was Artistoc Director of the London Bach Orchestra. From 1983 to 1985, he was Associate Conductor of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, and from 1985/1986 to 1992 he was Artistic Director of the Irish Baroque Orchestra. He was Artistic Director of the London Bach Orchestra from 1985 to 1993, and is currently the permanent guest conductor of the Manchester Camerata.
Nicholas Kraemer has appeared with the Berliner Philharmoniker, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra and Toronto Symphony Orchestra. In addition, he has directed specialist ensembles such as the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra and Birmingham Contemporary Music Group. He has conducted Kioi Sinfonietta and Ensemble Kanazawa in Japan, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, London Mozart Players and City of London Sinfonia and is regularly invited to perform with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Northern Sinfonia and Musikcollegium Winterthur. He has also appeared with Orquesta Sinfonica de Sevilla, Israel Chamber Orchestra,, Polish Chamber Orchestra in Poland, and numerous other groups. Recent debuts include the West Australia and Colorado Symphony Orchestras and the Minnesota Orchestra.
Nicholas Kraemer performed George Frideric Handel opera in Amsterdam and Geneva. Further concerts with the Israel Chamber Orchestra and the Frysk Orkest in the Netherlands; G.F. Handel in Dublin concerts with the Irish Baroque Orchestra in 1988-1989 season. J.S. Bach’s Magnificat (BWV 243) with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra; W.A. Mozart’s Requiem with the Manchester Camerata; concerts with the Australian Chamber Orchestra in 1989; 1991 season with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment in W.A. Mozart in London (EBU); G.F. Handel’Ss Rinaldo with Teresa Berganza in Lisbon; London Bach Society Concerts in Memorey of Paul Steinitz; Visit to Switzerland with the Prague Chamber Orchestra and Messiah from the Scratch with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra in the New Birmingham Symphony Hall.
Since 2002, Nicholas Kraemer is Principal Guest Conductor of Music of the Baroque, Chicago. In addition to his appearances with Music of the Baroque, Chicago, highlights of the current season include conducting orchestras in Japan, Norway, Iceland and Portugal, as well as leading a production of G.F. Handel's Rinaldo at Trinity College of Music, London. Recent engagements include appearances with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Colorado Symphony and West Australian Symphony Orchestra. He has also been appointed Principal Guest Conductor of the Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra, Norway.
Nicholas Kraemer’s opera repertoire ranges from Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo and L’Incoronazione di Poppea to 19th- and 20th-century works including Strauss’s Ariadne auf Naxos; Benjamin Britten’s Albert Herring, Noye’s Fludde, and Paul Bunyan; and Stephen Oliver’s Tom Jones, The Beauty and the Beast, and Euridice. He has conducted many G.F. Handel operas including Arianna in Creta, Lotario, Tolomeo, Arminio, Ariodante, Il Pastor Fido, Rinaldo, and Orlando, as well as the major W.A. Mozart operas. He conducted at Glyndebourne from 1980 to 1983, and was the first music director of Opera 80, now English Touring Opera. Among his most recent opera engagements, he conducted The Magic Flute and G.F. Handel’s Jephtha at English National Opera, Agrippina for Theater Aachen (Germany), and made his USA. opera début with Central City Opera (Colorado) in L’Incoronazione di Poppea.
Recordings: Antonio Vivaldi’s Violin Concertos Op. 9 (La Cetra) with Monica Huggett (EMI); A. Vivaldi’s Violin Concertos Op. 8, including The Four Seasons, with the Raglan Baroque Players (Virgin Classics); Complete Harpsichord Concerts of J.S. Bach (Archiv); Several discs of A. Vivaldi concertos with City of London Sinfonia for Naxos; Pietro Antonio Locatelli concerto grossi, Tartini violin concertos and concertos by Francesco Durante, Giovanni Battista Pergolesi, and Leo with Elizabeth Wallfisch and Raglan Baroque Players for Hyperion; G.F. Handel’s Rodelinda for Virgin Classics; G.F. Handel Oratorio Duets with Carolyn Sampson, Robin Blaze and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment for BIS, and works by Thea Musgrave with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra for Collins Classics. He has contributed to several feature films, most notably as Baroque music director for The Madness of King George. |
