Bernd Ruf is regarded as one of the pioneers in the field of Classical Crossover. Already in 2001, he was Grammy-nominated as a conductor for an orchestral production with Cuban jazz musician Paquito D’Rivera. Over more than three decades, he has pursued his musical credo of bringing together diverse musical genres and cultures. He developed the Crossover Symphonies, specialised orchestral programs combining African, Asian, and Latin American musicians with jazz and rock performers. In 2016, he was awarded the Golden Melody Award in Taipei for his collaboration between his own orchestra, the GermanPops Orchestra (founded in 1999), and the Taiwanese top band Sodagreen. With the ORF Radio Symphony Orchestra Vienna, he staged a Latin night, and with the Stuttgart Philharmonic, a Tango night. He has designed and conducted various symphonic concerts for jazz stars such as Joe Lovano, Randy Brecker, and Charlie Mariano at jazz festivals in New York and Stuttgart. Ruf accompanied Irish rock bard Chris De Burgh on his Rock-Symphonic Tour in Germany and Switzerland with his orchestra. He has also worked with artists including Jon Lord (Deep Purple), Roger Hodgson (Supertramp), Ian Anderson (Jethro Tull), and Paul McCartney. A large portion of Germany-produced game soundtracks, such as the Anno series, were conducted by him. He has led rehearsals and concerts with the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra and at the Salzburg Festival. As a musical director, Bernd Ruf has conducted productions of Les Misérables, Miss Saigon, Beauty and the Beast, Dance of the Vampires, and The Lion King. He is a regular guest conductor for the Staatskapelle Halle. Since 2003, he has conceived and conducted the annual open-air event “Bridges to Classics” at Halle's Händel festival, featuring rock legends such as Gary Brooker, Steve Hackett (Genesis), Bobby Kimball (Toto), Jimi Jamison (Survivor), and Eric Bazilian (The Hooters). Since 2008, he has served as musical director of the Saxony-Anhalt Film Music Days, which are held every autumn. As a professor, Bernd Ruf heads the Department of Popular Music, Jazz, and World Music at the University of Music Lübeck.