Karina Canellakis Named Principal Guest Conductor Of Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra

The Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra (RSB) has named Karina Canellakis as their first Principal Guest Conductor in the orchestra's history, beginning in 2019/20. She will also be featured as the RSB's Artist In Focus in her inaugural season. Canellakis will work alongside Chief Conductor and Artistic Director Vladimir Jurowski.

Says Karina Canellakis: "It is with great enthusiasm that I begin the journey with the wonderful musicians of the RSB, on which we want to explore many new and interesting corners of the repertoire."

Canellakis first appeared before the orchestra in September 2017. She will make her debut as Principal Guest Conductor on October 20, 2019 with Richard Strauss' Ein Heldenleben and Beethoven's Seventh Symphony. She will also conduct Beethoven's Ninth Symphony in the orchestra's two traditional New Year's Eve concerts, and returns again for her third program on April 5, 2020 with works by Stravinsky, Webern, Scriabin, and Szymanowski's Violin Concerto with Nicola Benedetti as soloist.

Also in the 2019/20 season, Karina Canellakis takes up post as Chief Conductor of the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra. Since winning the Sir Georg Solti Conducting Award in 2016, she has conducted many of the top orchestras in North America, Europe, the UK, and Australia, as well as the Zurich Opera and Curtis Opera Theatre. Upcoming debuts this season and next include the Montreal Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Minnesota Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, London Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Dresden Philharmonic, Munich Philharmonic, NDR Hamburg, and Rotterdam Philharmonic.

Canellakis previously served as Assistant Conductor of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. She is a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music and the Juilliard School.

Founded in 1923, the RSB is Germany's oldest radio orchestra. Its past chief conductors have included Bruno Seidler-Winkler, Sergiu Celibidache, Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, and most recently Marek Janowski.