Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra Appoints New Music Director

The ensemble in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia announced the appointment of Jun Märkl as its new music director, effective from the beginning of the 2021 season

Originally from Germany, Märkl has worked with the Vienna State Opera, the Bavarian State Opera Munich and the Semperoper Dresden in addition to serving as the Music Director of the Orchestre National de Lyon, the MDR Symphony Orchestra Leipzig and the Basque National Orchestra.

“It is with great joy and excitement that I am accepting the honor to lead the MPO through the next years to come," Märkl said. "I am delighted to begin the journey of a closer relationship with an organization I feel a close affinity to already — both warmly with the musicians of the orchestra and also with the extraordinary management team.”

“Even though these are difficult times and the shadow of a worldwide crisis can be particularly demanding for live music, I am excited that we are able to shape our future performances to be much more flexible and creative in ways that allow us still to reach the public effectively. One important effort which we will achieve this will be through a much more extensive digital media presence that I am excited to be part of in the near term.

"On behalf of the musicians and the team, I am delighted to welcome Maestro Jun Märkl into the MPO family as the next Music Director," CEO of MPO Mr. Sareen Risham said. "In him, I see someone of great calibre with the ability to build upon the legacy of all the great conductors whom we have worked with in the past, especially that of Conductor Laureate Kees Bakels, who was our founding Music Director. I look forward to the fruitful and rewarding years to come and seeing the growth of MPO to a new height under his leadership.”