From 1993 to 1999, Ringborg worked as staff conductor with the
Freiburg Opera, where his position in 1997 was elevated to Deputy Music Director. From 1997 to 2003, he conducted at the
Aalto Theatre in Essen, where in 1999 he was appointed Principal Conductor. After Ringborg's first year in Essen, critics named him the "season's best conductor" together with
John Fiore and Essen's music director
Stefan Soltesz.[2] Ringborg made his debut at the
Gothenburg Opera in 1998 with Tannhäuser, and later was named its Principal Guest Conductor. There he also conducted the much acclaimed world premiere of Notorious by Hans Gefors in 2015. He also was the Artistic Director of the German
Kurt Weill Festival 2000.
Until July 2007, Ringborg was chief conductor with the Freiburg Opera. With the 2007/2008 season, Ringborg became music director at the
Staatstheater Kassel, where he also was the artistic director of the "Mahler-Festtage" (celebrated every second year in honour of the late Music Director in Kassel,
Gustav Mahler) until 2017.
As first conductor ever, Patrik Ringborg was awarded the Opera Prize, founded by renowned Swedish newspaper Svenska Dagbladet for the Swedish productions of Das Rheingold and Parsifal.
"Växlar". Stockholms Läns Blåsarsymfoniker. Conductor: Patrik Ringborg. Oeuvres for wind orchester from the 20th century by e.g.
Hugo Alfvén,
Anders Hillborg and
Erland von Koch, Twin Music TMCD-18, 1993.
"Höga Visan". Sveriges Radios Symfoniorkester, Radiokören. Conductors: Patrik Ringborg, Mats Rondin and Manfred Honeck. Works by
Natanael Berg,
Phono Suecia PSCD 721, 2003.