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Rainer Hersch turns musical collaboration into lessons on leadership, communication, and trust, blending comedy with classical music. A leadership and comedy keynote speaker, he has appeared thirteen times at the Edinburgh Festival and worked with orchestras including the Philharmonia.
Rainer Hersch is a British-German conductor, comedian, and broadcaster whose blend of music and humour has entertained audiences in more than thirty countries. Whether on stage with an orchestra or performing solo, he brings a witty perspective to classical music, showing that high culture can also make you laugh out loud. Rainer's career began in the concert halls of London before taking an unexpected turn toward comedy.
Thirteen appearances at the Edinburgh Festival and numerous international tours later, he has built a reputation as one of the most original performers in musical comedy. His celebrated productions, including All Classical Music Explained and Rainer Hersch's Victor Borge, have delighted audiences in venues from the Festival Hall in London to the Konzerthaus Berlin. A classically trained conductor, Rainer has worked with orchestras worldwide, from the Philharmonia Orchestra in the UK to the St Petersburg Philharmonic.
As a writer and presenter for the BBC, he has created and fronted numerous radio and television programmes, earning acclaim for his intelligent humour and style. Beyond the stage, his corporate sessions such as The Conductor as Leader and orchestral team-building experiences translate musical collaboration into lessons in leadership, communication, and trust. Entertaining and insightful, Rainer's sessions reveal what businesses can learn from the orchestra pit. His work inspires creativity, teamwork, and a renewed sense of connection among colleagues.
Book Rainer to bring laughter, leadership, and a symphonic touch to your next event.
Topics, sessions and talks
Rainer Hersch explores what the art of conducting reveals about leadership in practice. Through a mix of comedy, musical demonstration, and sharp insight, he examines how conductors inspire trust, shape collaboration, and communicate vision under pressure. Drawing parallels between the orchestra and the workplace, he shows how leadership, when done well, turns chaos into harmony and performance into art.
Rainer Hersch transforms teamwork into a musical adventure as participants join his orchestra to perform a rock classic together. Divided into groups led by professional musicians, teams discover hidden creative talents while learning the importance of timing, listening, and collective focus. The session builds confidence, energy, and camaraderie, culminating in a joyful finale that captures the magic of collaboration in full swing.
Rainer Hersch leads his own ensemble of virtuoso musicians in a brilliantly original fusion of comedy and classical music. From Rossini to the Beatles, the Orkestra transforms familiar favourites into hilarious, high-energy performances that keep audiences laughing and listening in equal measure. With sharp wit, flawless timing, and impeccable musicianship, Rainer turns the concert hall into a comedy stage, proving that orchestral music can be both world-class and wonderfully funny.
Rainer Hersch masterfully blends classical music with comedy, transforming orchestral performances into accessible, hilarious experiences that have delighted audiences across 30 countries and prestigious venues like London's Festival Hall. Book Rainer now to energise your team with laughter and leadership insights drawn from the orchestra pit.
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frequently asked questions
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To book Rainer Hersch, email rainer.hersch@getapeptalk.com or call PepTalk on +44 20 3835 2929 (UK) or +1 737 888 5112 (US), and one of our speaker agents will contact you within hours to confirm Rainer's availability and speaking fee. If you can, please include your budget upfront – it helps us fast-track your request. It’s also helpful to know the date, format (virtual or in-person), location, and about your audience.
Rainer Hersch uses live musical demonstration as the structural backbone of his sessions, performing alongside professional musicians or conducting audience members through a rock classic to make leadership and teamwork principles tangible in real time. His format pairs this hands-on orchestral participation with stand-up comedy and musical parody, drawing on a repertoire that spans Rossini to the Beatles to sustain both the comedic and educational arc of a performance.
Rainer Hersch's sessions cover leadership through conducting, orchestral team building, and comedy-classical music performance. He has performed in over thirty countries, appeared thirteen times at the Edinburgh Festival, and worked with orchestras including the Philharmonia and the St Petersburg Philharmonic.
No. PepTalk adds no booking fee, so you pay the speaker's fee and nothing beyond it. The service, from shortlist through to contracts and event-day logistics, is included. For repeat or multi-event bookings, PepTalk can agree preferential rates with your procurement team.
Share your event date, audience, format, objectives and budget, and PepTalk sends a hand-picked shortlist within 24 hours. Each suggestion comes with a profile, a fee and a recommendation on the strongest fit. Once you choose, PepTalk handles contracts, travel and logistics through to event day.
The typical fee range is the speaker's standard in-person fee in their home market, shown in their local currency. It moves with format, location, date and session length: virtual sessions and shorter slots usually cost less, while international travel and peak dates cost more. Send your brief to PepTalk and the team will confirm the exact fee in your currency.
Not all of them, and it makes no difference to your booking. PepTalk's network of 15,000+ speakers covers talent the team works with directly alongside speakers represented by agents and agencies worldwide. PepTalk approaches the speaker, negotiates the fee and handles contracting either way.
Three to six months ahead is comfortable for most events, and 12 months is better for large conferences, peak-season dates or one specific in-demand speaker. Shorter timelines are workable, and PepTalk regularly fills last-minute and replacement bookings within days. Availability is the constraint, so get in touch as soon as you have a date.
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