Andris Nelsons will take up his duties as cantor of the Gewandhaus Orchestra at the beginning of the 2017/2018 season. Since 2014 Andris Nelsons has been the Musical Director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO), with whom he extended his contract until the 2021/22 season after just one year in Boston. Both of these appointments, as well as a groundbreaking alliance between both highly regarded institutions, underscore the fact that Andris Nelsons is one of the most highly acclaimed and innovative conductors in the international scene today.
Nelsons' musical career
Born to a family of musicians in Riga in 1978, Andris Nelsons began his career as a trumpeter with the orchestra of the Latvian National Opera before studying to become a conductor. He was musical director of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra from 2008 until 2015, head conductor of the North West German Philharmonic Orchestra in Herford from 2006 until 2009 and musical director of the Latvian State Opera from 2003 until 2007.
Nelsons made his Gewandhaus Orchestra debut in December 2011 with performances of works by Strauss, Beethoven and Sibelius. This was followed by appearances in June 2013, as well as in July and December 2014, with a subsequent guest appearance in Frankfurt am Main.
Nelsons made his debut with the Boston Symphony Orchestra in March 2011 with a performance of Mahler's Symphony No. 9 in the Carnegie Hall. He also debuted with the orchestra in Tanglewood in the summer of 2012 as well as in Symphony Hall in January 2013. He began his tenure as musical director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra at the start of the 2014/15 season. In the summer of 2015 the BSO and Nelsons embarked on their first joint European summer festival tour with performances in London, Salzburg, Grafenegg, Lucerne, Milan, Paris, Cologne and Berlin, for which they received glowing reviews.
Nelsons will be returning to the Gewandhaus on May 5, 2016 during his tour with the Boston Symphony and conducting concerts with the Gewandhaus Orchestra on May 25, 26 and 27, 2016 as well as on June 2 and 3, 2016.
Exciting auditory experiences
Andris Nelsons has a gift for bringing scores to life in a very imaginative and inventive way. Though his mission is to uphold musical traditions, Nelsons never fails to surprise audiences with the unexpected nuances and tonalities which he coaxes out of seemingly well-known works. Precise listening and surprising balancing of musical motives turn each of his concerts into exciting listening experiences without the merest hint of routine. With his careful attention to sound and arrangement, Andris Nelsons achieves performances of unexpected intensity and atmospheric depth. It goes without saying that his artistic identity is characterised by a high level of empathy for the work, for the performers and for the performance context, as well as for technical precision.
Overwhelming honour to be appointed as the next cantor of the Gewandhaus Orchestra
For Andris Nelsons it was an overwhelming honour to be appointed as the cantor of the Gewandhaus Orchestra: "This extraordinary orchestra and its wonderful musicians are unique in so many respects, and particularly in the way they draw on their outstanding and inspirational tradition to create exceptional soundscapes. I feel a great sense of both excitement and responsibility in assuming this role. I am very much looking forward to deepening my relationship with the entire Gewandhaus team and with our audiences in Leipzig and throughout the world with us all looking together, musically, toward the future while maintaining a strong sense of the past."
Equipped with this attitude and outlook, Andris Nelsons is the ideal partner for the Gewandhaus Orchestra - the orchestra that in the 272 years of its existence has shaped the canon of symphonic world literature unlike almost any other ensemble and that has distinguished itself above all through its unique sound. The orchestra provides Andris Nelsons, to whose heart the evolution of musical traditions is dear, with an ideal instrument for developing his vision together with the musicians.
Views on the planned appointment
Burkhard Jung, Lord Mayor of Leipzig:
"I personally am delighted that the Gewandhaus Orchestra wanted Andris Nelsons as its new cantor and that he was happy to accept the invitation. The position of cantor of the Gewandhaus Orchestra is a significant appointment of the city of Leipzig; one that reflects our worldwide musical and cultural appeal. Andris Nelsons is a person who is without question ideally suited to this position. This internationally sought-after and celebrated conductor is noted for his passion for musical creation as well as his unique interpretive signature, all of which combine with his high level of empathy for those with whom he works and for whom he makes music. Our internationally celebrated Gewandhaus Orchestra, together with Andris Nelsons, will continue to retain its strong appeal."
Andreas Schulz, General Director of the Gewandhaus:
"Andris Nelsons is a consummate master of sound, and he is one of the most interesting conductors of our time. I am so thankful that we have been successful in securing his services for our orchestra and thus for the music city Leipzig. Together with Nelsons we will set new exciting artistic standards, both in the core repertoire of the Gewandhaus Orchestra and in contemporary music. The Gewandhaus Orchestra will provide him with the perfect platform for developing his ideas for repertoire and for his interpretation of music. We are all very proud that such a fascinating musician and warm-hearted person will be helping us shape the next five years ahead. Andris Nelsons and the Gewandhaus Orchestra are a perfect match."
Tobias Haupt, Chairman of the Orchestra Board:
"The Gewandhaus Orchestera and Andris Nelsons have been collaborating successfully since 2011. From the beginning, the work together was characterized by mutual trust and by a great mutual understanding of the existential and emotional presentation of music, which is what distinguishes the Gewandhaus Orchestra and makes it such a special ensemble. His repertoire ranges from classical to contemporary music, and he is particularly known for his interpretations of the music of Strauss, Wagner, Mahler, and Shostakovich. He has a special gift for breathing new life into a composition from one moment to the next. We are happy that Andris Nelsons has accepted our invitation to take over the position of cantor of the Gewandhaus Orchestra starting with the 2017/2018 season."