Benedikt Fohr Appointed Chief Executive Of The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra

The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra (HK Phil) today announced the appointment of Mr Benedikt Fohr as its new Chief Executive following an international search. Mr Fohr will take up the position on 1 April 2019 to succeed the retiring Michael MacLeod, who has served the HK Phil for eight years.

Mr Y S Liu, the Chairman of the Board of Governors of the HK Phil and Chair of the Search Committee, said of the appointment: "The HK Phil is well-recognised on the international stage because of the success the orchestra has achieved in recent years under the leadership of Music Director Jaap van Zweden. This has attracted candidates of a high calibre during our global search. Benedikt has held executive positions with orchestras in Germany, Austria and Luxembourg, and with his vision, management skills, talents and experience in the arts scene, we are confident that he will lead and drive our orchestra to the next level of excellence."

Mr Fohr has been the Orchestra Manager (CEO) of Deutsche Radio Philharmonie Saarbrücken Kaiserslautern (DRP) for 12 years and was highly-regarded for his long-term commitment to the orchestra. Previously, he was the General Director of the Luxembourg Philharmonic Orchestra (The orchestra of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg), Secretary General of the Camerata Salzburg and Managing Director of the Ensemble Research Freiburg. Mr Fohr, 55, was educated in Germany and has served on the board of various arts entities and foundations, including the Board of the Förderverein Saarphilharmonie for the building of a new concert hall in Saarbrücken. He has been the Artistic Director (Classical) of the Festival International Echternach in Luxembourg since 2015.

Mr Fohr said: "I am incredibly looking forward to working with Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra and Jaap van Zweden. The orchestra is in excellent artistic shape and the huge success of the 'Ring Cycle' project has once again confirmed the orchestra's high international standing. Together with Jaap, the many renowned soloists and guest conductors and above all with our first-class musicians, we will continue to delight our audiences over all generations in Hong Kong and around the world. Working for this means for me is a wonderful new challenge. I would like to thank our board, the Government and the sponsors for their support and close cooperation, so that we can continue to shape and represent Hong Kong musically as one of the most exciting cultural metropolises in the world."

Maestro Jaap van Zweden, Music Director of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra since 2012, congratulated Mr Fohr on his appointment: "I am very pleased with the appointment of Mr Benedikt Fohr as the orchestra's next CEO. His longstanding dedication and resourceful experience with big orchestras will make him an outstanding leader. I look forward very much to our partnership. We will create an imaginative future for the HK Phil moving forward, locally, nationally and internationally."