Jakub Hrůša appointed Principal Guest Conductor of the Philharmonia Orchestra

Jakub Hrůša, Chief Conductor of the Bamberg Symphony since 2016, has been appointed Principal Guest Conductor of the Philharmonia Orchestra from the 2017/18 season.

Jakub Hrůša has been Chief Conductor of the Bamberg Symphony since 2016. He has conducted the Philharmonia Orchestra regularly for many years. Now, he has been appointed their Principal Guest Conductor.

»We share our Chief Conductor’s happiness«, said Marcus Rudolf Axt, Chief Executive of the Bamberg Symphony, »at this honour. Jakub Hrůša conducts all the world’s great orchestras and has enjoyed a special relationship with the Philharmonia Orchestra for many years. His appointment as its Principal Guest Conductor pays special tribute to his work with the Orchestra, and we offer him our sincerest congratulations.«

Jakub Hrůša, hailed in a recent Arts Desk profile as »a leading light among the younger generation of conductors«, has been a regular guest conductor with the Orchestra since his debut in 2011. With a wide-ranging repertoire, the music of Central Europe has been a strong feature of his programmes, including a revelatory performance of Suk’s Asrael Symphony in 2014.

Of the announcement, Hrůša said: »The Philharmonia Orchestra is one of my absolutely favourite musical ensembles worldwide. Every single concert we have experienced together since my debut in 2011 has been special in all aspects – the programming, the atmosphere and, most of all, the quality of the music-making. I feel truly honoured that I can become a member of this remarkable artistic institution under the inspiring leadership of Esa-Pekka Salonen. To become Principal Guest Conductor and to be in regular touch with the Philharmonia Orchestra’s musicians, and the whole team around, as well as with its public, is definitely one of my dreams come true.«

Helen Sprott, Managing Director of the Philharmonia Orchestra, commented: »This is a special moment for the Philharmonia. Following Esa-Pekka Salonen’s contract extension as Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor, we are delighted to be announcing two of the brightest talents on the international scene – Jakub and Santtu-Matias – as Principal Guest Conductors, and thus completing a formidable artistic team at the Philharmonia. Exciting times lie ahead.«

In addition to his role as Chief Conductor of the Bamberg Symphony, Jakub Hrůša is also Permanent Guest Conductor of the Czech Philharmonic, and Principal Guest Conductor of the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra - and as a guest conductor his engagements this season include appearances with the New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, Boston Symphony, The Cleveland Orchestra, Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Mahler Chamber Orchestra and the Zurich Tonhalle Orchestra.

His next appearances with the Bamberg Symphony take him to the Easter Festival in Aix-en-Provence in April, followed by concerts in Bamberg and at the Acht Brücken Festival in Cologne’s Philharmonie.

His next appearance with the Philharmonia Orchestra is on April 6th at the Royal Festival Hall.