Rainer Hersch
| Rainer Hersch | |
|---|---|
Hersch at Festival Hall, London in 2013
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| Born |
7 November 1962 Thames Ditton, UK |
| Medium | Stand-up, Concert Hall, television, Radio |
| Nationality | British |
| Years active | 1987–present |
| Genres | Musical comedy |
| Notable works and roles | All Classical Music Explained, All The Right Notes, April Fools Comedy Concerts |
| Website | rainerhersch |
Rainer Hersch (born 7 November 1962) is a British conductor, actor, writer and comedian known for his comical take on classical music. He has toured in more than 30 countries and has broadcast extensively, principally for the BBC. His radio series include All Classical Music Explained (BBC Radio 4 1997); Rainer Hersch's 20th Century Retrospective (BBC Radio 3 1999) and All the Right Notes, Not Necessarily in the Right Order (BBC Radio 4 2003 and 2006).
Hersch read Economics at Lancaster University, where his fellow students included Andy Serkis and James May. A Monty Python fan in his youth, he joined the Revue Group, the university's student comedy troupe, and began his writing career. He was a member of Cartmel College and served as JCR president – a position usually held by final year students – during his first term. In July 2015 he was presented with an Alumni Award by Lancaster University for graduates who have made a substantial contribution to their field and developed an outstanding international reputation.
In December 1987 Hersch made his debut on the London stand-up circuit as part of a comic double act The Tebbits with fellow student Peter Wylie. In 1992 he gave up his job as Touring Manager of the London Festival Orchestra to become a professional comedian and since that time has performed exclusively as a solo artist. In 1996 Rainer wrote and presented his stand-up show All Classical Music Explained (ACME) at Edinburgh Festival Fringe, one of thirteen such Edinburgh appearances. Billed as a simple and stupid guide to questions like 'why is organ music so boring?'; 'what does a conductor actually do?' and 'how to clap in the wrong place and mean it' ACME has since been performed over 300 times in four continents. It established him as an original comic voice and the classical music theme, which has dominated all his subsequent activities.
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