Brussels Philharmonic Names New Principal Guest Conductor

The 45-year-old conductor Ilan Volkov has been engaged as a new music specialist with the Brussels Philharmonic and will focus on expanding the scope of the orchestra's contemporary repertoire.

Volkov found early success, becoming the Assistant Conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra at the age of 19. Since that time, he has worked with a wide range of different groups, notably the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, where he was the Principal Conductor between 2003 and 2009.

Alongside his orchestral conducting, Volkov has done a great deal of work in the contemporary music space. He is the founder of the Tectonics Festival, which has been running since 2008 and also co-founded the I&I Foundation alongside violinist Ilya Gringolts.

Volkov's appointment comes as part of a great deal of turnover for the Brussels Philharmonic. Kazushi Ono was recently named as the orchestra's new Music Director, and ten new players have also been engaged for the coming season.

"I am thrilled to embark on this adventure with Brussels Philharmonic," Volkov said. "During the several projects that I was able to work on with the orchestra last year, I felt the openness and appetite to discover new musical ground."

"The level of the orchestra and the individual musicians is so high that as Principal Guest Conductor I will have all the ingredients necessary to explore new horizons," he added. "Together we will build a laboratory – a dynamic hub for the development and performance of new music.”

"Ilan's energy and curiosity are fully in keeping with the orchestra's DNA: the dual role of performer and researcher fits him like a glove," said Brussels Philharmonic General Manager Gunther Broucke. "Besides conducting concerts, he will launch new collaborations with a wide variety of artists and will explore the boundaries of the orchestral machine."