Guenther Herbig has established himself as a prominent conductor in the international music world, in particular, building a strong career in America since 1980. After serving as Music Director of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra for six years, he was Music Director of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra for five years—a position he gave up in 1994 to enable him to work in Europe more often. He continues to live in Michigan. 

Because of the political situation in East Germany, Guenther Herbig's first opportunity in the West came quite late; he was invited to be the Principal Guest Conductor of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra in 1979. Since moving to the United States in 1984, he has appeared with all the great American orchestras—the New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, Boston Symphony, Philadelphia and Cleveland orchestras, the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the San Francisco Symphony. He toured America several times with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and received high praise for the performances they gave in New York's Carnegie Hall. In January 1989, he toured Europe with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra with Gidon Kremer as soloist. In 1990, he toured the Far East with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. In Spring 1991 Mr. Herbig toured Europe with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, his 37th international orchestra tour. From 1990 to 1997 he served as Visiting Professor of Conducting at Yale University, with a one-week master class each term. 

In West Europe, he started his career in Britain in 1979 when he was invited to become Principal Guest Conductor of the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra. It was only in 1984, after he had left East Germany, that Guenther Herbig was able to conduct regularly in Western Europe. Very quickly he was invited by the other major British orchestras, including the London Symphony Orchestra, the Philharmonia and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Since then he has conducted most of the major European orchestras and has toured Japan, South America and Australia many times. 

He has recorded more than 100 works, some of which were with the East German orchestras with whom he was associated prior to moving to the West in 1984. Since then he has made recordings with several of the London orchestras, the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra and others. 

Giuenther Herbig began his musical training with Hermann Abendroth at the Franz Liszt Academy in Weimar. He continued his studies with Hermann Scherchen and was one of only a few students chosen for intensive study with Herbert von Karajan, with whom he worked for two years. In 1972 he became General Music Director of the Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra, and from 1977 until autumn 1983, held the same position with the Berlin Symphony. In 2001 he became the Chief Conductor of the Saarbruecken Radio Symphony Orchestra. 

A recent highlight of his career was his invitation to conduct at the 2001 Edinburgh Festival a duplicate of the programme that took place at the Theater an der Wien in Vienna on 22 December 1808 when Beethoven presented and conducted his Pastoral Symphony. This three-hour concert devised by Beethoven was Symphony No. 6, Ah! Perfido, Gloria from the C Major Mass, Piano Concerto No. 4, Symphony No. 5, Sanctus from the C Major Mass and Choral Fantasia. 

China NCPA Orchestra is the resident orchestra of the National Centre for the Performing Arts of China (NCPA), balancing a busy and distinguished performance schedule with a reputation as one of China's most adventurous and dynamic orchestras. Established in March 2010, the orchestra is composed of distinguished musicians from around the world, performing more than a dozen operas, ballets and regular symphonic seasons every year. Maestro Lu Jia took up the post of Principal Conductor in February 2011, succeeding Chen Zuohuang, the current Laureate Conductor, NCPA's Music Artistic Director and also one of the founders of the orchestra.

The NCPA Orchestra demonstrates an abiding commitment to high levels of artistic excellence and prides itself on its long-term collaborations with the finest musicians of our day. Artists associated with the orchestra in the past two years include Lorin Maazel, Christoph Eschenbach, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Yan Pascal Tortelier, Gunter Herbig, Gilbert Varga, Lang Lang, Stephen Kovacevich, Leo Nucci, Wang Yuja and Han-Na Chang. Maestro Lorin Maazel praised the orchestra as 'a hard-working excellence with great passion' after a series of concerts and the NCPA's new La Traviata in June 2010.  

In its first season of 2011, China NCPA Orchestra gained critical acclaim for its performances in NCPA's new productions of Tosca (Directed by Giancarlo Del Monaco), Il Barbiere di Siviglia (co-produced with Castleton Festival), Die Fledermaus, and a new composed opera The Chinese Orphan. Apart from that, the orchestra was also deeply involved in NCPA's 2011 Gustav Mahler Project. Under the batons of maestros including Christoph Eschenbach, Yoel Levi, Jun Maerkl and Chen Zuohuang, the orchestra completed Mahler's Symphonies No. 1, 2, 3, 8 and 10.  

In the season of 2012, China NCPA Orchestra won a highly successful acclaim for two NCPA's new productions: Der Fliegende Hollander and Lohengrin, both Wagner's operas were Chinese premiere. It continually collaborates with prominent musicians around the world for concert programs, including Maestro Vladimir Ashkenazy, Yan Pascal Tortelier and the legendary pianist Rudolf Buchbinder.  

In addition to its extensive domestic performances, the NCPA Orchestra also received a widespread international praise in 2012. The orchestra was invited by Kissingen Summer Music Festival and Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival in July 2012, and kicked off his first German tour in Nürnberg, Hamburg and Berlin under the baton of Christoph Eschenbach and Chen Zuohuang. This was followed by a successful concert at the Sydney Opera House with Maestro Chen Zuohuang in November. 

In the season of 2013, the NCPA orchestra presents colorful programs on the commemoration of Wagner, Verdi and Britten, highlighting the Ring without words with 12 principals from Berlin Philharmonic under the baton of Lorin Maazel. NCPA's new opera productions that the orchestra is involved include Les Contes d'Hoffmann, Otello and Nabucco, which features her second successful collaboration with Placido Domingo.    

The NCPA orchestra aims to build up a world-class orchestra with operation and management conforming to global practices while incorporating Chinese characteristics. Devoted to educational and outreach activities, the Orchestra also has presented a series of Weekend Matinee Concerts since its establishment. With specially selected repertoire, performances of high quality and extremely low ticket prices, these concerts have won great acclaim from both audience and critics. The orchestra is now embarking on a similar path with the complete Beethoven symphonies with Maestro Lu Jia.