[1][1] Delfs graduated from Hamburg Conservatory in 1981, and earned his Master's at Juilliard School of Music in 1984.
After receiving his Master's, he accepted the post of Assistant Conductor of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, then under the music directorship of Lorin Maazel.
From 1984 to 1995 he also held the position of chief conductor of the Swiss Youth Symphony Orchestra (SYSO).
[3] Delfs held the post of music director of the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra from 2001 to 2004, and the position of Generalmusikdirektor of the Staatsoper Hannover from 1996 to 2000.
In March 2007, Delfs was named Principal Conductor of the Honolulu Symphony,[4] with an initial contract of 3 years.