{{short description|British-based conductor|bot=PearBOT 5}} '''Richard Bernas''' (born April 21, 1950, in New York City, New York, United States) is a British-based conductor.

He studied music at York University (UK) and conducting with Witold Rowicki in Warsaw (1976).

After a period working as a pianist and percussionist – when he collaborated with such composers as Karlheinz Stockhausen, John Cage, Earle Brown and Morton Feldman and played in the live electronic improvising group ''Gentle Fire'' (1968 - 1975) - he founded the new music ensemble Music Projects/London (1978) [http://www.compositiontoday.com/interviews/richardbernas.asp]. The ensemble toured in Europe, recorded for the BBC and other radio stations, appeared at major UK Festivals and recorded for NMC, Virgin, Factory and Decca. His recording of John Casken's opera ''Golem'' with Music Projects/London won the Gramophone Award for Contemporary Music (1991).<ref>{{cite web|title=1991 Gramophone Awards|url=http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0150872.html|website=www.infoplease.com|accessdate=30 July 2017|language=en}}</ref>

With the ensemble and other orchestras Bernas has worked with many leading composers. World premieres he has conducted have included Gavin Bryars' opera "Medea" (1984 Lyon and Paris Operas), of which he is also the dedicatee, Nicholas Maw's ''Odyssey'' (1989 Royal Festival Hall), James Dillon’s ''Oceanos'' (1996 BBC Proms)<ref>{{cite web|title=Live at the Covent Garden: Brilliant Sights and Sounds|url=http://www.edition-peters.com/php/artist_details.php?artist=DILLON&section=composer|publisher=www.edition-peters.com|accessdate=30 July 2017|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071006145311/http://www.edition-peters.com/php/artist_details.php?artist=DILLON&section=composer|archivedate=6 October 2007}}</ref> John Casken's ''Golem'' (1989 Almeida Opera) as well as newly commissioned ballets for The Royal Ballet at Covent Garden, where he has been a guest conductor since 1988.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Tommasini|first1=Anthony|title=Live at the Covent Garden: Brilliant Sights and Sounds|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/04/arts/music/04cove.html?scp=1&sq=%22richard%20bernas%22&st=cse|website=The New York Times|accessdate=30 July 2017|date=4 May 2005}}</ref>

Other theatre work includes Mozart's ''Idomeneo'' for the Theatre du Capitole, Toulouse (2000),<ref>{{cite web|title=Richard Bernas|url=http://www.theatre-du-capitole.org/sommaire/99-00/operas/idomeneo/accueil.htm|accessdate=30 July 2017}}</ref> the Ravel Operas for Opera Zuid Holland (2003), Britten's ''Death in Venice'' (Scottish Opera 1988) and ''The Prince of the Pagodas'' at Covent Garden and at the MET.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Kisselgoff|first1=Anna|title=A Princess With a Mission: Save the Salamander Prince|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E07E5D7143BF932A15754C0A961958260&sec=&spon=&&scp=2&sq=%22richard%20bernas%22&st=cse|accessdate=30 July 2017|work=The New York Times|date=21 July 1997}}</ref> He conducted the BBC television production of Mark Anthony Turnage's ''Greek'', which won the Royal Philharmonic Society Award in 1992. Between 2001 and 2016 Richard Bernas was also a Music Consultant at Tate Modern, London. The work he developed there is gallery and site specific rather than based on conventional concert hall situations. It has included performing Feldman's ''Rothko Chapel'' and Tallis' ''Lamentations'' in Tate's Rothko Room, commissioning Rebecca Saunders' ''Chroma'' (2003) for the large Turbine Hall, performing music during such exhibitions as Arte povera, Brâncuși, Open Systems and Kandinsky,<ref>{{cite web|title=US|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/the-sound-of-colour-almeida-theatre-london--none-onestar-twostar-threestar-fivestar-407420.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121022082501/http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/the-sound-of-colour-almeida-theatre-london--none-onestar-twostar-threestar-fivestar-407420.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 22, 2012|website=The Independent|accessdate=30 July 2017}}</ref> mounting a large scale John Cage ''Musicircus'' to celebrate the re-hang of the Abstract collection (2006)<ref>{{cite news|title=John Cage's Musicircus|url=http://www.tate.org.uk/modern/eventseducation/musicperform/johncagesmusicircus5668.htm|accessdate=30 July 2017|publisher=www.tate.org.uk|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080213171529/http://www.tate.org.uk/modern/eventseducation/musicperform/johncagesmusicircus5668.htm|archivedate=13 February 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref> and collaborations with BBC Radio 3.

Bernas made his Royal Philharmonic Orchestra debut in March 2009.<ref>This is from the website of Richard Gilder and Co, his international management agent, accessed 21 November 2014. The link to the website is [http://robertgilder.co/richard-bernas/ here].</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

==Footnotes== * 1. Interview Composition Today November 2006 * 2. Information Please list of 1991 Gramophone Awards * 3. Peters Edition biography of James Dillon * 4. May 4, 2005 New York Times, Anthony Tommasini review of Covent Garden * 5. Web archive Theatre du Capitole Toulouse * 6. July 21, 1997 New York Times review of Royal Ballet at the Metropolitan Opera * 7. July 11, 2006 The Independent review The Sound of Colour Almeida Festival * 8. Web archive Tate Modern

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Bernas, Richard}} Category:Living people Category:1950 births Category:American male conductors (music) Category:21st-century American conductors (music) Category:21st-century American male musicians