Günter Neuhold was born in Graz, Austria, in 1947. In 1969 he completed his studies at the Graz Conservatory with a masters degree. He then followed advanced courses in Rome with Franco Ferrara and in Vienna with Hans Swarowsky. Between 1972 and 1980 he was engaged at various German opera houses, a period he closed as first Kapellmeister in Hanover and Dortmund. After winning several competitions (Florence 1st prize, 1976; San Remo, "Marinuzzi" 1st prize, 1976; Vienna, "Swarowsky" 2nd prize, 1977; Salzburg, "Böhm" 1st prize, 1977, Milan, "Cantelli" 3rd prize, 1977), he began an international career. From 1981 to 1986 he was Music Director at the Teatro Regio di Parma, where he devoted most of his time to Verdi operas, and Chief Conductor of the Orchestra Sinfonica "Arturo Toscanini". From 1986 to 1990 he was Chief Conductor and Musical Director of the Koninklijk Filharmonisch Orkest van Vlaanderen in Antwerp, which achieved an international reputation during this period and toured in Germany, Italy, Great Britain and France. Günter Neuhold was General Music Director at the Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe from 1989 to 1995. In Karlsruhe he performed a Richard-Strauss-Zyklus and the Ring des Nibelungen. Since 1995 he has been General Music Director and Artistic Director at the Theater der Freien Hansestadt Bremen.