Conductor Manfred Honeck Extends Contract with Pittsburgh Symphony

The 63-year-old Austrian will serve the orchestra until 2028

Conductor Manfred Honeck has been the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra's (PSO) ninth Music Director since 2008.

The decision to extend his contract has put to bed any rumors that Honeck was aiming to step into a Music Director post at either the New York Philharmonic or the Chicago Symphony.

Honeck, however, clearly enjoys his work in Pittsburgh and has re-affirmed his commitment to the orchestra's work.

As 2018's International Classical Music Awards "Artist of the Year,” he served as Music Director of the Staatsoper Stuttgart from 2007 to 2011.

Honeck played in the viola section in the Vienna Philharmonic and Vienna State Opera Orchestra before turning to conducting. With the Zurich Opera House, he was awarded the European Conducting Prize in 1993.

He has since served as one of three principal conductors of the MDR Symphony Orchestra Leipzig, as Music Director of the Norwegian National Opera, Principal Guest Conductor of the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra and Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, and Chief Conductor of the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra in Stockholm.

“I am honored and thrilled to continue as Music Director of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, my beloved Pittsburgh musical family," Honeck said. "We share a deep and passionate commitment to prepare and to perform fantastic music and these outstanding musicians play from their hearts with tremendous power and soul each and every time they take the stage...it is exhilarating for me to know that our musical partnership will continue well into the future."

"Now in his fourteenth season, the extraordinary Manfred Honeck has led a revitalization of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra," said Melia Tourangeau, the President and CEO of the PSO.

"Along with his great musical gifts, Manfred brings a deep sense of humanity, with keen sensitivity to the emotional connection between music and people," she added. "He is a true artistic partner whose relationship with the musicians brings out the very best in each other. There is no better artistic and music leader than Manfred Honeck, and the orchestra’s future is very bright in his stellar hands."