Monday, January 8, 2018

Conductor for RPO Visit Announced

Last month’s preview announcement of the visit of the London-based Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) to Davies Symphony Hall provided all of the usual information about soloists and program content. However, both the RPO and the San Francisco Symphony (SFS), which is hosting this visit as part of its Great Performers Series, had severed all ties with Charles Dutoit last month in reaction to accusations of sexual misconduct made against the conductor. Thus, when the program details for the RPO visit were announced, information about a substitute conductor was not yet available.

Thierry Fischer (photograph by Marco Borggreve, courtesy of the San Francisco Symphony)

This morning SFS announced that the conductor for the two RPO concerts will be Thierry Fischer. Fischer is currently Music Director of the Utah Symphony, a position that began in 2009 and has been extended under contract until 2022. He is also Principal Guest Conductor for the Seoul Philharmonic and has been so since January of 2017. His most recent recording with the Utah Symphony was of Gustav Mahler’s eighth symphony (“Symphony of a Thousand”) in E-flat major; and it was released by Reference Recordings this past November. His earlier recording of the first (“Titan”) symphony in D major was released in September of 2015. To the best of my knowledge, this will be his first appearance in Davies.

All previously announced information about tickets, as well as program content, is still valid.

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