Germany's Basel Sinfonietta Appoints New Principal Conductor

Swiss Conductor Titus Engel will assume the role starting in the 2023/24 season

After a vote among the members of the Basel-based orchestra at the beginning of December, Engel was chosen to succeed current principal conductor Baldur Brönnimann.

Titus Engel has previously worked with orchestras including Mozarteum Orchestra Salzburg, SWR Symphony Orchestra, WDR Symphony Orchestra, Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra, Mahler Chamber Orchestra, among others. In 2020, Engel was named Conductor of the Year by the Opernwelt Magazine.

Basel Sinfonietta is the world’s only full-sized orchestra for contemporary music and, since its founding in 1980, has been challenging classical concert conventions.

"I am very much looking forward to taking over the position of Principal Conductor from the 2023-24 season and thank the members of the Basel Sinfonietta for their trust," Engel said of his appointment.

"Together with these great musicians, I would like to bring about projects that demonstrate just how engaging and multifaceted the music of our time really is. My goal is to deliver special concerts for a broad audience and, at the same time, to strengthen Basel Sinfonietta’s international profile. I am also very much looking forward to working closely with the composers and the numerous institutions in Basel that are committed to modernism," he added.

"Titus Engel as the new Principal Conductor as successor to Baldur Brönnimann is a stroke of luck for the orchestra," said Németi-Mosimann, president of the Orchestra Board, in an official press statement. "The collaborative opportunities we have had to date in past concerts have proven that the chemistry between the orchestra and Titus Engel is excellent. We look forward to benefiting from his wealth of experience in the field of contemporary repertoire and innovative concert formats, which are, after all, the DNA of the Basel Sinfonietta."