Hundreds of thousands of music lovers around the world have watched the video of the solemn moment when the musicians of the Danish National Symphony Orchestra were informed that Italian Fabio Luisi would be their new chief conductor. The musicians' joy and emotion at the news was so obvious that the video has reverberated throughout the classical music world as a unique example of a happy musical collaboration.
After Fabio Luisi's first two seasons as Chief Conductor of the Danish National Symphony Orchestra, Kim Bohr, Director of Choirs & Orchestras, can confirm that a new chapter is now being added to the collaboration with the internationally recognised Italian conductor. It has already been agreed that Fabio Luisi will continue as the DR Symphony Orchestra's chief conductor in the period 2020-23.
Kim Bohr says about working with Fabio Luisi:
”With Fabio Luisi at the helm, the Danish National Symphony Orchestra has experienced both enormous artistic development and a unique collaborative climate that radiates far beyond the stage. This is first and foremost to the delight of our loyal Danish audience, who follow the orchestra live in DR Koncerthuset and via radio, TV and the internet. But at the same time, the collaboration with Fabio Luisi has elevated the DR Symphony Orchestra to the top international league.”
As examples of the international achievements that have followed - and will follow - in the wake of the DR Symphony Orchestra's contract with Fabio Luisi, Kim Bohr mentions first and foremost the recent seasons' international tours to the USA, China and London's BBC Proms.
”With Fabio Luisi at the helm, we see many new doors opening for the Danish National Symphony Orchestra. This means that we now have plans for upcoming tours and recordings in both the coming and following seasons, which we look forward to announcing regularly,” he says. ”Together with Luisi, the Danish National Symphony Orchestra is helping to bring Danish music to the world, and Luisi's great passion for Carl Nielsen's music and our upcoming performances of Hans Abrahamsen and Bent Sørensen make the orchestra a strong ambassador for Danish music at the highest level.”
According to Kim Bohr, another international showcase for the Danish National Symphony Orchestra and Fabio Luisi is the recent Malko Competition, where both industry professionals and music lovers from around the world follow the orchestra online. ”With the Malko Competition, we show the whole world that Luisi is not only a great artist himself, but that he as jury chairman is passionate about the talent work that is so important to us at the Danish National Symphony Orchestra. He is currently embarking on a three-year period as a personal mentor to the winner of the competition - and he is also making himself available to our young Danish conducting talents in the Malko Conducting School.”
Fabio Luisi says about the contract extension with the Danish National Symphony Orchestra: ”I am extremely happy that my relationship with the Danish National Symphony Orchestra - a relationship that has blossomed and developed wonderfully over the past years - will continue into the next seasons. The orchestra, with its amazing curiosity and sharp focus, is a source of great personal and artistic joy in my life.”
Fabio Luisi is 59 years old and was born in Genoa, Italy. Trained as both a pianist and conductor, he currently divides his conducting career between opera and orchestral music - and between several permanent positions. In addition to his position as Chief Conductor of the Danish National Symphony Orchestra, Luisi is Chief Conductor of the Zurich Opera and has just taken up the position of Music Director of the Florence Opera.
Previously, Fabio Luisi has been chief conductor of the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, the Dresden Staatskapelle and the MDR Orchestra in Leipzig, among others. Last year, he completed a year-long tenure in the USA as Principal Conductor of the Metropolitan Opera in New York.