Christoph Eschenbach appointed Honorary Conductor

In recognition of a collaboration which has now lasted for 50 years, the Bamberg Symphony has appointed Christoph Eschenbach as its Honorary Conductor. He becomes the fourth conductor, after Eugen Jochum, Horst Stein and Herbert Blomstedt, to be accorded this distinction.

In April 2014, Christoph Eschenbach conducted the Orchestra for the 150th time. He made his concert debut as soloist with the Bamberg Symphony in October 1965, followed in 1977 by his first appearance as its conductor. Since then, he has conducted the Orchestra not only at home but has also led the Bamberg Symphony on tours to the USA, South America, Japan, France, Austria and the Baltic states.

»I have a bond with the Bamberg Symphony based on decades of friendship«, said Christoph Eschenbach, »every one of our concerts fills me with fresh gratitude. So I feel it's a very special distinction to have the position of Honorary Conductor conferred on me by the Orchestra – a position which I gratefully accept, with the greatest pleasure and deep admiration for this wonderful ensemble.«

»The Bamberg Symphony has long revered Christoph Eschenbach«, said Marcus Rudolf Axt, the Orchestra's Chief Executive. »His outstanding musicality and exceptional personal qualities have been a never-ending source of inspiration to us. After half a century of working together, we now count ourselves fortunate to be able to appoint him as our Honorary Conductor, and we look forward greatly to many more concerts and tours together.«

In April 2016, Christoph Eschenbach will lead the Bamberg Symphony on a tour which will take him and the Orchestra to Oman, among other destinations. Their most recent joint concert was in Munich's Herkulessaal, in May 2015, when he was awarded the Ernst von Siemens Music Prize.

The list of works which Christoph Eschenbach has performed with the Bamberg Symphony is long: he has directed Mozart's piano concertos from the keyboard, and he has conducted the Orchestra in symphonic works by Mozart and Beethoven and in Romantic repertoire from Schubert, Schumann, Brahms, Bruckner and Dvořák to Gustav Mahler. They have been joined by Heinrich Schiff in cello concertos by Shostakovich and Lutosławski, and by Gidon Kremer in Schnittke's Concerto grosso no. 5. Christoph Eschenbach has often appeared as both conductor and soloist, and has directed Bamberg Symphony performances with guest soloists such as Anne-Sophie Mutter, Frank Peter Zimmermann, Tabea Zimmermann, Mstislav Rostropovich, Elisabeth Leonskaja and Tzimon Barto. He has also recorded a complete cycle of Robert Schumann's Symphonies with the Bamberg Symphony.