Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra Names New Music Director

Lithuanian violinist and conductor Julian Rachlin will step into the role

Right as the orchestra enters its 85th anniversary year, the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra (JSO) appointed violinist and conductor Julian Rachlin as its Music Director. Rachlin's tenure with the orchestra will begin in October 2023.

Rachlin was born in Lithuania and his family emigrated to Vienna when he was just three years old. He studied the violin with Boris Kuschnir at Vienna's Musik und Kunst Privatuniversität, and privately with Pinchas Zukerman. He also studied conducting with Mariss Jansons, Sophie Rachlin, and Daniele Gatti.

Rachlin is currently the Chief Conductor of Norway's Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra, Principal Guest Conductor of Finland's Turku Philharmonic Orchestra, and Artistic Director of the Herbstgold Festival at the Esterházy Palace in Austria.

"I’m immensely grateful and excited to take on this new role," Rachlin said of the appointment. "Having performed regularly in Israel over the last 35 years, the trust the musicians and the City of Jerusalem have placed in me is particularly meaningful."

"I’m incredibly fortunate to work with such highly skilled artists and such a highly motivated team in a city where I feel very much at home, and can’t wait to embark on this joint musical journey," he continued.

"The orchestra was looking for a strong and dedicated leader to enhance its artistic excellence, and elevate the organization’s profile globally," said Zelig Rabinovitz, the Chair of the JSO's Board of Directors.

"We have found that leader in Julian Rachlin, and we are exceedingly happy to welcome him in Jerusalem!"