Hans Vonk

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This article is about the conductor. For other uses of the term, see Vonk (disambiguation).

Hans Vonk (June 18, 1942 - August 29, 2004) Dutch conductor, champion of Dutch composers such as Alphons Diepenbrock.

Born in Amsterdam, Vonk studied music at the Amsterdam Conservatory and law at Amsterdam University. During this time, he made a living from gigs as a jazz pianist. He debuted as a conductor with the Netherlands National Ballet, and married the dancer Jessie Folkerts. He also served as assistant conductor with the Concertgebouw Orchestra.

Vonk held chief conductor positions with the Het Residentie Orkest and the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra. From 1985, he was Chief Conductor of both the Dresden Staatskapelle and the Semper Oper, Dresden. In 1988 he conducted at La Scala in Milan in a revival of Jommelli's Fetonte, but then had to take a year off from conducting after being diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome, a neurological condition. He appeared to recover and resumed conducting.

In the USA, the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra appointed him music director in 1996, succeeding Leonard Slatkin. In the year 2002, he resigned the position due to his failure of health, later diagnosed as ALS. He died in his Amsterdam home. The St. Louis Symphony dedicated a program of Berlioz's Requiem to him after his death. He is survived by his widow, Jessie.

His recordings are on the Chandos and Denon labels, among others.

Preceded by: Ferdinand Leitner	Chief Conductor, Het Residentie Orkest 1980–1991	Succeeded by: Yevgeny Svetlanov
Preceded by: Herbert Blomstedt	Chief Conductor, Dresden Staatskapelle 1985–1990	Succeeded by: Giuseppe Sinopoli
Preceded by: Gary Bertini	Chief Conductor, WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne 1990–1997	Succeeded by: Semyon Bychkov
Preceded by: Leonard Slatkin	Music Director, St Louis Symphony Orchestra 1996–2002	Succeeded by: David Robertson