The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra (BBC SSO) has announced that Thomas Dausgaard is to be its next chief conductor. The Dane, 51, will start in his new post at the beginning of the 2016/17 season, taking over from Donald Runnicles.
Dausgaard and the BBC SSO are no strangers to each other, as he has already conducted the Glasgow-based orchestra on a number of occasions, both at its City Halls home and around Scotland, including at the St Magnus Festival in Orkney.
‘The infectious joy of making music with the BBC SSO makes it a great honour and pleasure to become its chief conductor from 2016/17,’ he says. ‘I am a fond admirer of the orchestra’s creativity, team-spirit and excellence, and I look forward very much to exploring all the exciting possibilities which lie ahead of us.’
Renowned for his imaginative programming and the excitement of his live performances, Dausgaard is also chief conductor of the Swedish Chamber Orchestra and holds other posts with the Seattle Symphony, Orchestra della Toscana and Danish National Symphony Orchestra, of whom he was principal conductor from 2004-11. On disc, his and the Swedish CO’s exceptional recordings of Schumann symphonies for the BIS label have been particularly well received.
Donald Runnicles will hand over the BBC SSO reins to Dausgaard after seven years in Glasgow. A surprise appointment to many back in 2009 – not least as he is greatly in demand as an opera conductor – his time with the orchestra has proved a major success. He will begin his last season in charge with a performance of Mahler’s First Symphony at 24 September at City Halls.
Photo: Per Morten Abrahamsen
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