For Sakari Oramo, it was a new wash as the artistic partner of Cologne’s Gürzenich Orchestra

Conductor Sakari Oramo has been appointed as the new artistic partner of the Cologne-based Gürzenich Orchestra. At the same time, Oramo continues his work as chief conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra.

Oramo’s responsibility as an artistic partner is to procure at least two commissioned productions for the orchestra during the five performance seasons. Pesti will start in September 2025.

Before that, Oramo leads the orchestra right from the beginning of the year in three performance series, the first of which is in the repertoire by Jean Sibelius One and Kaija Saariaho Saarikoski songswhere the soloist is Anu Komsi.

Oramo works together with the new chief conductor of the Gürzenich Orchestra Andrés Orozco-Estradan with. Previous Principal Conductor François-Xavier Paul Roth was dismissed from his position because complaints had been made against him for sexual harassment of members of the orchestra.

The Gürzenich Orchestra, founded in 1827, also serves as the orchestra of the Cologne Opera.

Sakari Oramo told in September, having resigned from his professorship of orchestral and conductor training at the Sibelius Academy of the University of the Arts. He had held the position since 2020. Oramo justified his decision with the desire to focus on performances.

According to the contract, Oramo will continue as chief conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra until 2030.