Richard Woitach

Richard Woitach was an American conductor, pianist, and composer. In 1959, after studying music at the Eastman School of Music, Woitach jointed the Metropolitan Opera in New York City and served as a staff conductor there until 1997. In 1981, he collaborated with Canadian operatic soprano Teresa Stratas to record The Unknown Kurt Weill, a landmark Nonesuch record that introduced unpublished songs of German composer Kurt Weill and for which Woitach received a Grammy nomination in 1982. Woitach also was a long time collaborator with Canadian heldentenor Jon Vickers, accompanying him on the piano in several recorded recitals in both Canada and New York City. Woitach was survived by his wife soprano Jeryl Metz, his children and grandchildren.
At the Metropolitan Opera he first led, on tour, John Dexter's production of Les vêpres siciliennes, then conducted in the House, Madama Butterfly, La Gioconda, ''Tosca, Le siège de Corinthe, Lucia di Lammermoor, Tosca, La traviata, Cavalleria rusticana, Pagliacci, Don Pasquale, Hänsel und Gretel, La bohème, Fidelio, Bluebeard's Castle, Eugene Onegin, Così fan tutte, Boris Godounov, Die Zauberflöte, Die Entführung aus dem Serail, and, finally, Elektra,. Woitach also led a production of Argento's Postcard from Morocco'', at Wolf Trap, with Phyllis Treigle in the cast.
From 1976 to 1978, he conducted the Naumburg Orchestral Concerts, in the Naumburg Bandshell, Central Park, in the summer series.