has been appointed Permanent Guest Conductor of the Slovak Philharmonic as from the 2018/2019 season. He studied French horn and conducting first at the Ostrava Conservatory, then orchestral conducting (Richard Týnský, Otakar Trhlík, František Jílek) and choir conducting (Josef Veselka and Lubomír Mátl) at the Janáček Academy of Music and Performing Arts in Brno. In 1976 he participated in the famous conducting competition in Besançon where he came second and was awarded the Special Prize from the French Union of Composers. After graduating from the Janáček Academy (1978), he became Assistant Conductor at the Brno State Philharmonic followed by the position of Assistant to Václav Neumann at the Czech Philharmonic, the Bohuslav Martinů Philharmonic in Zlín, the Pardubice Chamber Philharmonic and again for four years at the Philharmonic in Brno. From 1987 he worked at the FOK Prague Symphony Orchestra, first as Second Conductor, later (1990 – 1991) as Principal Conductor. Between 1993 and 2004 he was Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the Southwest German Philharmonic in Konstanz, and led the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic from 1997 to the end of 2001. In January 2002 he was appointed Principal Conductor of the Brno Philharmonic. At present he cooperates on a permanent basis with the FOK Prague Symphony Orchestra and the Czech Philharmonic.
Petr Altrichter has led orchestras throughout the world, including the Berlin Symphony Orchestra, London Philharmonic, Japan Symphony Orchestra, Krakow Philharmonic, Milano Orchestra, Symphony Orchestra in Riga, RTL Symphony Orchestra Luxembourg, Baden-Baden Symphony Orchestra and Orquesta Filarmonica de Gran Canaria. He has appeared as a guest at important festivals in Paris, Madrid, Chicago, Zürich, Salzburg, Vienna, Seville, St. Etienne, Avignon, Palermo, Prague, Edinburgh and Athens. He has become known mainly as a promoter of Czech music in renowned English orchestras. He cooperates with radio and television companies.