Born in Vienna, Martin Sieghart studied violoncello, piano and conducting at the Vienna College of Music. In 1975, he became a soloist with the Vienna Symphony Orchestra. He soon discovered his enthusiasm for conducting, and founded his own choir and chamber orchestra. After successful appearances in Munich, Rome and Salzburg, he ended his career as an orchestra musician and began working full-time as a freelance conductor.

After a brief engagement with the Netherlands Orchestra, in 1990 he succeeded Karl Muenchinger as chief conductor of the oldest German chamber orchestra, the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra, where he stayed for five years, leading them to international acclaim. He was also named the principal conductor of the Bruckner Orchestra Linz in 1992.

In the summer of 2000, after eight years with the Bruckner Orchestra Linz, Sieghart returned to Vienna. Since that time he has been guest conductor of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra Brünn, the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra and a permanent guest conductor of the Vienna Johann Strauss Orchestra. For years he has regularly directed the Viennese Symphony Orchestra, presenting, among other works, the premiere of the Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 10.

In the autumn of 2000, Sieghard became a professor at the University of Music in Graz, Austria. Also in 2002, he became artistic director/conductor of the opera festival, “Mozart in Reinsberg”. In 2003, Sieghart became principal conductor of the Arnhem Philharmonic Orchestra.