Yannick Nézet-Séguin Named Next Music Director of The Philadelphia Orchestra

Philadelphia Orchestra Association Chairman Richard B. Worley and President and CEO Allison Vulgamore announced today that Yannick (Yah-NEEK) Nézet-Séguin (NAH-zay SAY-gahn) has been named as the Orchestra's next Music Director. His seven-year contract begins immediately, with Mr. Nézet-Séguin assuming the title of Music Director Designate for two seasons and taking on the full role of Music Director in the 2012-13 season. Mr. Nézet-Séguin will come to Philadelphia this Friday, June 18, 2010, to celebrate his appointment with The Philadelphia Orchestra and the City of Philadelphia.

With his appointment, Mr. Nézet-Séguin joins a distinguished history inclusive of young Music Directors of The Philadelphia Orchestra. When he assumes the Music Director title full time at the age of 37, Mr. Nézet-Séguin will join the ranks of Leopold Stokowski who was 30 years old when he became Music Director of the Orchestra, Eugene Ormandy who assumed the position at age 38, and Riccardo Muti who became Music Director at age 39.

Mr. Nézet-Séguin made his acclaimed debut with The Philadelphia Orchestra in December 2008 conducting Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 with soloist André Watts and Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 6 ("Pathétique"), and most recently led the Orchestra in Vivier's Orion, Franck's Symphony in D minor, and Brahms's Piano Concerto No. 1 with Nicholas Angelich in December 2009. In addition to his position in Philadelphia, Mr. Nézet-Séguin will also remain Music Director of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, Principal Guest Conductor of the London Philharmonic Orchestra, and Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the Orchestre Métropolitain (Montreal).

A captivating leader, Mr. Nézet-Séguin was chosen as the Orchestra's next Music Director for his musicianship and diverse repertoire that ranges in both style and scope. Whether leading chamber, choral, symphonic, or large-scale operatic works, he applies his broad array of interpretive ideas to music spanning from the Baroque to the contemporary.

Forthcoming guest appearances include conducting the Vienna Philharmonic for the 2010 Salzburg Festival production of Don Giovanni; regular productions for the Metropolitan Opera; debuts with the Berlin Philharmonic, the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, the Bayerischer Rundfunk Orchestra, and the Chicago Symphony; and first productions for La Scala Milan and London's Royal Opera House.

As The Philadelphia Orchestra's Music Director Designate, Mr. Nézet-Séguin will lead two weeks of subscription concerts in Philadelphia during the 2010-11 season. On October 29, 30, and 31, 2010, he will conduct Haydn's Symphony No. 100 ("Military") and Mahler's Symphony No. 5, and on January 6, 7, and 8, 2011, he will lead Debussy's Nocturnes and the Orchestra's first performances of Mozart's Requiem in 20 years. In the 2011-12 season, Mr. Nézet-Séguin will lead a total of five weeks.

In his first season as Music Director (2012-13), Mr. Nézet-Séguin will lead up to seven weeks of concerts; and in his second and third seasons (2013-14 and 2014-15) he will conduct 15 weeks. His fourth and fifth season (2015-16 and 2016-17) will increase to 16 weeks of concerts. His weeks each season will be inclusive of subscription concerts, special events, tours, and summer activities.

Charles Dutoit continues his musical leadership of The Philadelphia Orchestra in his role as Chief Conductor through the 2011-12 season. Over the next two seasons, his cultivation of the great "Philadelphia Sound" will be on display in his many ongoing appearances with the Orchestra in Philadelphia, New York, Washington, D.C., and on tour. With the 2012-13 season, the Orchestra will honor Mr. Dutoit by bestowing upon him the title Conductor Laureate. July 2010 marks the 30th anniversary of his debut with The Philadelphia Orchestra and since those first appearances, Mr. Dutoit has led hundreds of concerts as Artistic Director of the Orchestra's summer concerts at the Mann Center for the Performing Arts, Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the Orchestra's summer residency at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, and now as Chief Conductor. His role as Conductor Laureate will extend this strong and steadfast relationship.

Of the appointment, Mr. Nézet-Séguin said, "I fell in love with music when I heard The Philadelphia Orchestra as a young boy, on a recording of Tchaikovsky's Sixth Symphony with Eugene Ormandy. Now I am deeply honored and thrilled to be named Music Director of this extraordinary ensemble. I felt an instant connection with these wonderful musicians, a connection that I am eager to continue and I so look forward to our opportunities to make music together. I am eager to get to know Philadelphia and its cultural riches and to work with Allison Vulgamore and her team of staff and the members of the Board of Directors."

Philadelphia Orchestra Association President and CEO Allison Vulgamore said, "I am truly excited for The Philadelphia Orchestra's partnership with Yannick Nézet-Séguin, a great musician and human being. In my many visits with Yannick, I have witnessed the warm fellowship he shares with musician colleagues and audiences around the world. His exceptional artistry and strong connection with our musicians combines in rich and impactful performances, and his contagious love of music endears him to our audiences and community. We welcome him to Philadelphia, a musical home which will flourish with his leadership."

Philadelphia Orchestra Association Chairman Richard B. Worley said, "We are thrilled at the appointment of Yannick Nézet-Séguin as our next Music Director. Yannick was the overwhelming choice of the Search Committee and he joins Allison Vulgamore in completing the leadership team, which we have worked hard to put in place-her strength of leadership and his talent and vision will help propel this great Orchestra forward. I want to commend the Search Committee and its Chairman, Dick Klein, on a process that resulted in Board, administrative leadership, and musicians working together cohesively and unified in their enthusiasm about this choice. We are also delighted to honor Charles Dutoit's 30-year legacy by naming him Conductor Laureate at the close of his tenure as Chief Conductor in 2012."

"There is a palpable excitement to Yannick's conducting that has energized us right from the beginning of his first rehearsal with us," said Blair Bollinger, Chairman of the Musicians' Music Director Search Committee and bass trombone player. "Throughout the duration of the search we've had many meetings and discussions in which each musician had a chance to have his or her voice heard. The result of these meetings enabled the musicians on the committee to enthusiastically put forth this recommendation to the Board. I'd like to thank the Board and administration for being so attentive and responsive to input from the musicians."

The Music Director Search Committee, chaired by Board member Richard M. Klein, was composed of 10 members of the Board, 11 musicians, the President and CEO, and the Vice President for Artistic Planning. The musicians of the Orchestra elected the 11 musician committee members, who represented the various sections of the Orchestra. Each individually took responsibility for leading roundtable discussions and seeking the input of all of their colleagues.

"We are very excited today to be announcing our new Music Director, Yannick Nézet-Séguin," said Chairman of the Orchestra Members' Committee and cellist John Koen. "The process, in which the Board sought the collaboration of the musicians in making its final decision, has reached a very successful and mutually gratifying conclusion. We know our audiences will respond with enthusiasm to the energy that Yannick brings to the podium, and his clear connection to the unique sound of The Philadelphia Orchestra, ensuring a respect for our history while putting his own personal stamp on the music. We remain grateful to Charles Dutoit for his musical leadership over so many decades, and we look forward to a rich continuing relationship with him."

Yannick Nézet-Séguin

At only 35 years old, Yannick Nézet-Séguin is one of the most well-respected and sought-after young conductors on today's international classical music scene and has been widely praised by audiences, critics, and artists alike for his musicianship, dedication, and charisma. Mr. Nézet-Séguin has been Music Director of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra since 2008, Principal Guest Conductor of the London Philharmonic Orchestra since 2008, and Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the Orchestre Métropolitain (Montreal) since 2000.

A native of Montreal, Mr. Nézet-Séguin has conducted all of the major Canadian orchestras and was Principal Guest Conductor of the Victoria Symphony from 2003 to 2006. Mr. Nézet-Séguin made his European debut in 2004 and has since become a regular guest conductor with many of Europe's leading orchestras, including the Dresden Staatskapelle, the Orchestre National de France, the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, and the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, and he made his debut at London's BBC Proms in 2009 conducting the Scottish Chamber Orchestra. His recent symphonic highlights include highly successful tours of the Far East (summer 2008) and North America (winter 2010) with the Rotterdam Philharmonic, as well as his Boston Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, National Symphony, and Philadelphia Orchestra debuts and his Vienna Symphony and Vienna Philharmonic debuts.

Mr. Nézet-Séguin's upcoming orchestral engagements include his first performances of Mahler's Eighth Symphony ("Symphony of a Thousand") with the National Arts Centre Orchestra and the Orchestre Métropolitain in June 2010 and his debut with the Zürich Tonhalle Orchestra in July 2010. In addition to concerts with the Rotterdam Philharmonic, the London Philharmonic, and The Philadelphia Orchestra, Mr. Nézet-Séguin's 2010-11 season will include a tour with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, and debuts with the Berlin Philharmonic, the Chicago Symphony, the Bayerischer Rundfunk Orchestra, and the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra.

Equally praised for his interpretations of the operatic repertoire, Mr. Nézet-Séguin recently made his critically-acclaimed Metropolitan Opera debut in December 2009 conducting a new production of Bizet's Carmen, and he will return to the Met in November 2010 for a new production of Verdi's Don Carlo. At the Netherlands Opera he has conducted Janá?ek's The Makropoulos Case and Puccini's Turandot with the Rotterdam Philharmonic, and he led Poulenc's La Voix humaine and Debussy's L'Enfant prodigue as part of the Rotterdam Opera Days in June 2010. Mr. Nézet-Séguin made his debut at the Salzburg Festival in 2008 conducting a new production of Gounod's Romeo and Juliet, and he will return this summer to conduct the same production again with the Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra, as well as Mozart's Don Giovanni with the Vienna Philharmonic. In addition to his engagement at the Met during the 2010-11 season, Mr. Nézet-Séguin will make his debut at La Scala conducting Romeo and Juliet, and he will conduct Strauss's Salome at the Montreal Opera. He will make his debut at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, in 2011-12.

Mr. Nézet-Séguin's first three Rotterdam Philharmonic recordings on the EMI/Virgin label, all released during the 2009-10 season, comprise an Edison Award-winning album of Ravel's orchestral works, the Beethoven and Korngold violin concertos performed by Renaud Capuçon, and Fantasy: A Night at the Opera with flutist Emmanuel Pahud. Mr. Nézet-Séguin conducts Berlioz's Symphonie fantastique and The Death of Cleopatra on an upcoming series of recordings to be released by BIS Records, and his discography also includes several award-winning recordings with the Orchestre Métropolitain on the ATMA Classique label.

Mr. Nézet-Séguin studied piano, conducting, composition, and chamber music at the Conservatoire de Musique du Québec in Montreal, and continued his studies with renowned conductors, most notably the Italian maestro Carlo Maria Giulini. As a teenager Mr. Nézet-Séguin spent several summers studying choral conducting with Joseph Flummerfelt at the Westminster Choir College in Princeton, New Jersey. Mr. Nézet-Séguin's honors include a prestigious Royal Philharmonic Society Award, the Virginia-Parker Award from the Canada Council in 2000, numerous Prix Opus from the Conseil Québécois de la Musique, and most recently a coveted Canadian award, the National Arts Centre Award.

The Philadelphia Orchestra

The Philadelphia Orchestra is among the world's leading orchestras. Renowned for its artistic excellence since its founding in 1900, the Orchestra has excited audiences with thousands of concerts in Philadelphia and around the world.

Artistic Leadership

With only seven music directors throughout more than a century of unswerving orchestral distinction, the artistic heritage of The Philadelphia Orchestra is attributed to extraordinary musicianship under the leadership and innovation of Fritz Scheel (1900-07), Carl Pohlig (1907-12), Leopold Stokowski (1912-41), Eugene Ormandy (1936-80), Riccardo Muti (1980-92), Wolfgang Sawallisch (1993-2003), and Christoph Eschenbach (2003-08).

After 30 years of a celebrated association with The Philadelphia Orchestra, Charles Dutoit continues the tradition as Chief Conductor. With the 2012-13 season, the Orchestra honors Mr. Dutoit by bestowing upon him the title Conductor Laureate. July 2010 marks the 30th anniversary of his debut with the Orchestra and since those first appearances, Mr. Dutoit has led hundreds of concerts in Philadelphia, at Carnegie Hall, and on tour, as Artistic Director of the Orchestra's summer concerts at the Mann Center for the Performing Arts, Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the Orchestra's summer residency at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, and now as Chief Conductor. His role as Conductor Laureate extends this strong and steadfast relationship.

In June 2010 Yannick Nézet-Séguin was named the next Music Director of The Philadelphia Orchestra, immediately joining the Orchestra's leadership team as Music Director Designate. Mr. Nézet-Séguin's leadership era as Music Director begins with the 2012-13 season. In addition to concerts led by Mr. Dutoit and Mr. Nézet-Séguin, audiences will be treated to the artistry of acclaimed guest conductors from around the world throughout the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons.

Philadelphia is Home

The Philadelphia Orchestra annually touches the lives of more than one million music lovers worldwide, through concerts, presentations, and recordings. The Orchestra enjoys residence during the winter season (September-May) at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, where it takes stage at both the 2,500-seat Verizon Hall as well as in the 650-seat Perelman Theater for chamber music concerts. Its summer schedule includes an outdoor season at the Mann Center for the Performing Arts as well as free Neighborhood Concerts throughout Greater Philadelphia. The Philadelphia Orchestra Association continues to own the Academy of Music, as it has since 1957, where it performed for 101 seasons. It returns to the historically-certified theater every January for the highly-anticipated Academy Anniversary Concert and Ball.

The Philadelphia Orchestra can also be found year-round throughout Greater Philadelphia with its many educational outreach and community partnership programs.

Performances throughout the U.S.

Beyond Philadelphia the Orchestra presents a series of concerts each year at New York's Carnegie Hall and a three-week residency at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center in Upstate New York. The ensemble also performs numerous concerts each year at the Bravo! Vail Valley Music Festival and regularly appears at the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.

Firsts and Foremost

The Philadelphia Orchestra has an unparalleled legacy of firsts. Signature to its reputation are world or American premieres of such important works as Mahler's Symphony No. 8 ("Symphony of a Thousand"), Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring, Schoenberg's Gurrelieder, Rachmaninoff's Symphonic Dances, and Barber's Violin Concerto.

The Philadelphia Orchestra's tour history is characterized by landmark events. In 1936 the Orchestra became the first American orchestra to undertake a transcontinental tour; in 1949 it toured Great Britain as the first American orchestra to cross the Atlantic after World War II; in 1973 it became the first American orchestra to perform in the People's Republic of China; and in 1999 it became the first American symphony orchestra to visit Vietnam.

On its 2010 Tour of Asia, the Orchestra was received with great enthusiasm in China, Japan, and Korea, marking another important milestone in its storied history of ambassadorship through powerfully uniting music.

Reaching Audiences through Ever-Evolving Media

The Orchestra also boasts an extraordinary record of media firsts. It was the first symphonic orchestra to make electrical recordings (in 1925), the first to perform its own commercially sponsored radio broadcast (in 1929), the first to perform on the soundtrack of a feature film (Paramount's The Big Broadcast of 1937), the first to appear on a national television broadcast (in 1948), and the first major orchestra to give a live cybercast of a concert on the internet (in 1997). The Orchestra also became the first major orchestra to multi-cast a concert to large-screen venues through the Internet2 network.

The Philadelphia Orchestra announced a collaboration with SpectiCast in June 2009 that enables the broadcast of select Orchestra concerts to private theaters and auditoriums, including senior living communities and colleges and universities. In January 2010 the Orchestra formed a new distribution partnership with IODA, through which live recordings are now made available on popular digital music services such as iTunes, Amazon, Rhapsody, eMusic, and HDtracks, among others.

Currently the Orchestra and Drexel University's Music and Entertainment Technology Laboratory are working together to develop a new iPhone application that transmits real-time musical commentary to concert hall audiences during live performances.

Trusting the Future

In the 2009-10 season the Orchestra Association took significant steps toward financial sustainability with the creation of a Bridge Fund to enable the organization to continue building upon its rich legacy and its pursuit of artistic excellence. To date an extraordinary $8 million has been pledged by Board members. In addition to this Fund, the musicians of The Philadelphia Orchestra have recently agreed to generous contract modifications totaling more than $8 million over 2 and 1/4 years.

Another highlight of the Orchestra's recent past was the conclusion of a $125 million endowment campaign, A Sound, A City, A Civilization. Commitments to the campaign included a lead gift of $50 million from the Annenberg Foundation, along with other major gifts from friends throughout the community.

For more information on The Philadelphia Orchestra, please visit www.philorch.org.

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