When people go to see Rainer Hersch live in concert, most expect a night of classical music mixed with humor that would not normally take place in such an orchestra. However, Hersch has established himself as an incredible musician who is not afraid to find a niche in an otherwise very serious and respected musical genre. In one concert, he took his humor to an incredible new level when he unexpectedly arranged for the orchestra to perform the Waltz, but in an entirely new format.
When Hersch asks the audience, “Can I just ask who has got Windows on their computer at home?”, few members of the audience were expecting what was about to happen. After cracking a few jokes about Windows’ error messages, he created a roar of laughter from the crowd when he and his orchestra performed sounds from the Windows operating system. Afterwards, he and the orchestra blended the sounds to create what he has called the “Windows Waltz”.
Not only is Hersch an accomplished musician, but he is also a highly skilled comedian. He incorporates delicate stand-up routines into his concerts, which leave audiences both laughing and in awe of his ability to arrange an orchestra in such a manner. His so-called “Windows Waltz” blends humor and musical skill into an arrangement that impresses people after watching it. It takes talent to be able to confidently pull off a performance such as this, and he and his orchestra do it with ease.
Rainer Hersch is not your average, run-of-the-mill conductor. He is also an actor and writer who uses his knowledge of classical music to bring laughter to the masses through his unorthodox and comedic take on the genre. He has performed and organized tours across over 30 countries in the world, with his shows being remarked as highly witty, funny, and all-out entertaining. His comedy career began in 1987 when he teamed up with fellow student Peter Wylie to create The Tebbits, a comedy duo.
Hersch truly is a well-rounded and highly educated comedian and musician. He studied as a private piano student of Norma Fisher, an English concert pianist who also became a professor in piano teaching in London.
From these beginnings, Hersch eventually studied conducting at The Conservatoire in London. He later conducted some of the most popular orchestras of recent years, including the British Philharmonia Orchestra, which was founded in 1945.