Conductor. In 2016, he graduated from the Chopin University of Music, the symphony and opera conducting class under the tutelage of Prof. Antoni Wit. Runtz further perfected his conducting skills under Jorma Panula and Jacek Kaspszyk during master conducting courses. He has also developed his talents in the Riccardo Muti Italian Opera Academy in Ravenna, led by the world-famous conductor Maestro Riccardo Muti, the current director of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Runtz participated in prestigious conducting courses taught by Daniele Gatti with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in Amsterdam. In August 2018, he improved his conducting skills during the Tanglewood Festival in the United States, organized by the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
During the 2014/2015 season, he collaborated with the Polish National Opera in Warsaw as assistant conductor in several opera productions. In June 2016, Dawid Runtz made his debut conducting the orchestra of the National Philharmonic in Warsaw. In 2017, as part of the scholarship awarded by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, he served as an assistant to Maestro Jacek Kaspszyk in the National Philharmonic in Warsaw. In July 2017, on invitation of Valery Gergiev, he made his debut in Japan during the Pacific Music Festival in Sapporo. Runtz frequently works with various Polish orchestras, such as: the Sinfonia Varsovia, the National Philharmonic, the National Symphonic Orchestra of the Polish Radio in Katowice, the Polish Radio Orchestra, the Orchestra of the National Opera, and many other.
David Runtz received numerous awards in Polish and international conducting competitions.
In 2013, he won the 2nd prize and the special prize in the 1st Adam Kopyciński National Competition for Students of Conducting in Wrocław. Moreover, in 2014 he was Poland’s sole representative at the 1st International Forum of Young Conductors in Zielona Góra. In 2016, Runtz won the 2nd prize in the 4th Witold Lutoslawski International Competition For Young Conductors in Białystok, and in 2018 he was awarded the 3rd prize and the Audience Prize during the 1st Hong Kong International Conducting Competition.
In the past, Runtz received scholarships from the Minister of Culture and National Heritage, the Minister of Science and Higher Education, the Marshall of the Pomeranian Voivodeship, and the Starosta of the Wejherowo Poviat. For his scientific achievements, he received numerous scholarships from the Rector of the Chopin University of Music. He was also awarded two awards by the President of Wejherowo for his musical achievements (2010, 2017). In 2017, Runtz was awarded the Remus Award, and in 2018 the Medal of the Rose from the President of Wejherowo. In 2018 he received the Magna cum Laude Medal awarded to the most distinguished graduates of the Chopin University of Music.
Since December 2017 Dawid Runtz holds the position of the first conductor in the Polish Royal Opera.
Photo by Kinga Karpati
