Harald Hörth was born on March 29, 1969 in Zwettl and was given basic musical training in piano and
clarinet from his brother, Reinhard. Although he achieved success as a clarinettist early on, winning the
first prize at "Jugend musiziert", he changed instruments in 1984 and took up the oboe, studying at what
was, at the time, the College of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna under Manfred Kautzky and Klaus
Lienbacher. In 1992 he completed his diploma with distinction, and continued his studies with Günter
Lorenz and attended master classes offered by Hansjörg Schellenberger and Heinz Holliger. This
intensive work enabled him to launch an impressive orchestral career. Hörth was principal oboist with
the Vienna Chamber Orchestra (1989-1991), with the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra (1991-1994)
and the Vienna Symphony (1994-2004). Following a successful audition, he began his work as principal
oboist with the Vienna State Opera Orchestra on September 1, 2004. In 2007 he became member of the
Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra.
Parallel to his orchestral career, Harald Hörth, who in 1987 passed his Matura exams at the Academic
High School in Vienna, appeared as soloist with the Vienna Symphony, the Austrian-Hungarian Haydn
Philharmonie, the Vienna Chamber Orchestra and the Graz Symphony, in addition to playing with
various chamber music groups (Ensemble Kontrapunkte, Ensemble "die Reihe", Lenau Quintet, Vienna
Oboe Trio, "quintet wien").
From 2000-2008, Univ.-Prof. Harald Hörth served on the faculty of the Vienna Conservatory
private university, as well as the Prague-Vienna-Budapest International Summer Academy
boarding school.
Within Austria, Hörth has taught at the International Orchestral Institute Attergau (a project of the
Vienna Philharmonic), as well as the iconic Salzburg Festival. Hörth is also in high demand to
teach internationally. He has presented guest masterclasses at some of the most prestigeous
festivals and institutions in the world, including the New World Symphony Orchestra (Miami,
USA), the Pacific Music Festival (Sapporo, Japan), and at the Juilliard School (New York, USA).
Univ.-Prof. Harald Hörth joined the faculty at the University of Vienna in 2008 where he currently teaches.