Richard Schwennicke is a pianist and conductor from Germany. He currently serves as the first music director of the newly founded Icelandic National Opera.

Richard studied piano and conducting in Hannover with Martin Brauß and Gerrit Zitterbart and started his career at the opera houses of Darmstadt, Kassel, and Hannover. Before coming to Iceland, Richard worked at Vienna State Opera house with world-renowned conductors and singers, such as Christian Thielemann, Simone Young or Philippe Jordan.

Beyond opera, Richard has fostered a special interest in contemporary music. He has composed an opera, Wüstinnen (premiered in Berlin, 2024) and collaborated with composers such as Bára Gísladóttir, Chaya Czernowin and Lucia Ronchetti.