Background
He was born in Paris while his father was serving in the United States Foreign Service, then spent his primary-school years in London.
He was born in Paris while his father was serving in the United States Foreign Service, then spent his primary-school years in London.
Bachelor in Music Composition, Harvard University, 1975. Master of Music in Piano, Johns Hopkins University, 1977. Master of Music in Orchestral Conducting, Johns Hopkins University, 1978.
Student, Paris Conservatoire. Student, Peabody Conservatory.
He received his higher education at Harvard and at Peabody Conservatory. He began his career in 1979 as assistant conductor to Mstislav Rostropovich at the National Symphony Orchestra, in Washington, District of Columbia and as music director of the orchestra of Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Wolff then served as music director of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra from 1986 to 1993.
From 1988–1992, Wolff was Principal Conductor of the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra and then served as its Music Director from 1992–2000.
He was Principal Conductor of the Grant Park Music Festival from 1994–1997, and from 1997-2006 was Chief Conductor of the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra (which changed its name to the hr Symphony Orchestra in 2005). Beginning in the fall of 2017, Wolff will be music director of the National Orchestra of Belgium.
Wolff has conducted major orchestras around the world, including the foremost American orchestras - the New York Philharmonic, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, National Symphony Orchestra, and San Francisco Symphony - and the London Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonia (London), Orchestre National de France, Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Berlin and Bavarian Radio Orchestras, and orchestras in Australia, Japan, of Korea, and Canada. His discography includes the complete Beethoven symphonies with the Frankfurt Radio Orchestra.
As a conductor he has accompanied recordings by Rostropovich, Yo-Yo Ma, Joshua Bell, Hilary Hahn, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Dawn Upshaw, Thomas Hampson, Jennifer Larmore, and jazz guitarist John Scofield.
In addition to his performing career, Wolff is Director of Orchestras and teaches orchestral conducting at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. They have three sons.
Married Judith Kogan. Children: Alexander, Matthew, Aaron.