Günther Herbig was born on November 30, 1931 in Aussig, Czechoslovakia. He began his musical education at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Weimar under Hermann Abendroth and later studied with Hermann Scherchen and Arvīds Jansons. In 1956, he became the Music Director at the German National Theater in Weimar. Herbig served as Chief Conductor of the Dresdner Philharmonic from 1972 to 1977 and then assumed the same position with the Berlin Symphony Orchestra. His international debut came relatively late due to political circumstances in East Germany; however, he became the Principal Guest Conductor for both the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra in 1979. After relocating to the USA in 1984, Herbig led the Detroit Symphony Orchestra until 1990. He conducted numerous orchestras worldwide and undertook tours across Japan, South America, and Australia. From 1988 to 1994, he was Chief Conductor of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and taught conducting at Yale University from 1990 to 1997. Herbig's discography includes over 100 works, including Carl Nielsen: Sinfonie Nr. 5 Op. 50 (1967) and Mendelssohn: Ein Sommernachtstraum (1977).
