About Ioan Holender
Mr. Ioan Holender was born in Romania in 1935. He studied voice at the Vienna City Conservatory, and following a career as a singer, he began working for a theatrical agency, which he later owned. He was named secretary-general of both the Vienna State Opera and the Vienna Volksoper in 1988, taking up those posts in 1992. He remained at the Volksoper until 1996 and served as director of the State Opera until 2010.
Currently, Mr. Holender holds a variety of posts, including advisor to the Metropolitan Opera and to the Hungarian State Opera Budapest; artistic advisor to the Organizing Committee of the Spring Festival in Tokyo (formerly Tokyo Opera Nomori); artistic director for the George Enescu Festival of Bucharest, Romania; artistic advisor to the Nagoya Philharmonic Orchestra; and honorary director of the "Toyota Master Players, Wien" program. He also serves as a guest lecturer at the University of Vienna and as a judge for numerous international music competitions.
Mr. Holender is an honorary member of the Vienna State Opera and the Vienna Volksoper. He has received numerous awards from various countries, including the Gold Medal for Meritorious Service from the municipality of Vienna and the Grand Decoration of Honor in Gold for Services to the Republic of Austria. In 2010, he was awarded Japan's Order of the Rising Sun,Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon.