曼弗雷德·霍内克出生于奥地利并在维也纳音乐学院学习深造。多年在维也纳爱乐乐团、维也纳国家歌剧院担任小提琴及中提琴手的经历,为其日后的指挥生涯烙下了深刻的印记。
受邀邀请并多次成功指挥了匹兹堡交响乐团之后,他被聘请为该团的第九任音乐总监,并于2008-2009音乐季开始其任期。两年后,由于其出色表现,合同期延长至了2016年。2010年在参加完卡内基音乐厅的演出和欧洲巡演后,曼弗雷德·霍内克率领匹兹堡交响乐团于2011年八月到九月间回到欧洲参与了许多重要音乐演出:如莱茵高音乐节、赫尔斯泰因音乐节、格拉芬妮音乐节、柏林音乐节、波恩贝多芬音乐节、卢塞恩音乐节、伦敦逍遥音乐节以及在巴黎、维尔纽斯和立陶宛等地举办音乐会等。他和匹兹堡交响乐团的众多优秀作品被日本埃克斯顿公司以CD唱片的形式出版发行。目前为止共发行了马勒《第一交响曲》、《第三交响曲》和《第四交响曲》,柴可夫斯基的《第五交响曲》,以及理查德·施特劳斯的《英雄生涯》,这些专辑都广受好评。
在2011至2012音乐季中,他有机会受邀回到斯德哥尔摩、奥斯陆、布拉格和斯图加特这些他早期指挥过的地方指挥德累斯顿交响乐团、班贝克交响乐团、巴黎交响乐团、以色列爱乐乐团以及芝加哥爱乐乐团演出。之后更会在北京国际音乐节上登台演出,随后返回维尔比耶继续执棒。
Manfred Honeck (born 17 September 1958 in Nenzing) is an Austrian conductor, the son of Otto and Frieda Honeck, from a family of nine children. One of his brothers is the Vienna Philharmonic leader Rainer Honeck.
As a youth, Honeck studied violin. He attended the Academy of Music in Vienna, and later played the viola. He was later a musician in the Vienna Philharmonic and the Vienna State Opera Orchestra. His early work as a conductor included a period as assistant to Claudio Abbado with the Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester (Youth Orchestra).
From 1991 to 1996, Honeck conducted regularly at the Zurich Opera House. From 1997 to 1998, he was Music Director of the Norwegian National Opera in Oslo. He also held a regular position from 1996 to 1999 with the MDR Symphony Orchestra Leipzig. In 1998, he was named the Principal Guest Conductor of the Oslo Philharmonic. From 2000 to 2006, Honeck was Music Director of the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, where his work included conducting the 2006 premiere of Sven-David Sandström's Ordet – en passion (24 March, Stockholm). Honeck became Generalmusikdirektor (GMD) of the Staatsoper Stuttgart with the 2007–2008 season, with an initial contract for four years. In November 2009, Stuttgart Opera announced the departure of Honeck as its GMD after the conclusion of his contract in 2011. Honeck formally concluded his Stuttgart tenure in the summer of 2011. Honeck became Principal Guest Conductor of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra with the 2008–2009 season.
In May 2006, in the US, Honeck made an acclaimed appearance with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (PSO). In November 2006, he returned to Pittsburgh to conduct the PSO in another concert that received strongly positive reviews. On 24 January 2007, the PSO named Honeck its ninth music director, effective with the 2008–2009 season for an initial contract of 3 years. In September 2009, the PSO announced the extension of Honeck's contract to the 2015–2016 season. In February 2012, the PSO announced the further extension of Honeck's contract through the 2019–2020 season. Honeck and the PSO have recorded music of Giuseppe Verdi, Alan Fletcher and Richard Strauss for the Octavia (Exton) label.
Honeck lives in the village of Altach, Vorarlberg, Austria with his wife Christiane and their six children.