Thomas Rietschel has been working as a cultural consultant since 2016 and has been supporting cultural institutions such as foundations, art academies, ensembles and associations in their development ever since. Trained as a Germanist and empirical cultural scientist, he previously worked in music management, including years as Secretary General of Jeunesses Musicales Deutschland, Secretary General of the German Music Council and for 12 years as President of the Frankfurt University of Music and Performing Arts.

Thomas Rietschel is the father of three children, lives in the Tauber Valley south of Würzburg and is active in a variety of voluntary work, including for an initiative of Holocaust survivors, for a cultural centre in Nicaragua and for climate protection.