Sinfonieorchester Basel Names New Chief Conductor

Markus Poschner will step into the role for the 2025/26 season

Conductor Markus Poschner will succeed Ivor Bolton at the beginning of Basel Sinfonieorchester's 2025/26 season.

A native of Munich, Germany, Poschner studied at Munich's conservatory and later became the assistant to conductors such as Roger Norrington and Colin Davis. He began his career in 2006, taking the position of Kapellmeister at Komische Oper Berlin.

Poschner has held music director positions at Lugano's Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana and at the Bremen Philharmonic. In addition, he regularly appears orchestras including the Staatskapelle Dresden, Münchner Philharmoniker, Wiener Symphoniker, and the Konzerthausorchester Berlin.

"With his passion for music, his artistic openness and versatility as well as his special charisma and backstage manner, [Markus Poschner] is the ideal successor to Ivor Bolton," said Hans-Georg Hofmann, the Artistic Director of the Basel Sinfonieorchester.

"With Markus Poschner, an experienced and adventurous person will take over the musical direction of the Basel Symphony Orchestra," said General Director Franziskus Theurillat.

"We are convinced that in Markus Poschner we have found a conductor who is not only an excellent musician, but also an experienced communicator both internally and externally," said Magdalena Welten Erb, the President of the orchestra's Board.

"This will advance the artistic development of the orchestra and strengthen its identity. We look forward to the musical journey together. There will be a lot to discover — luckily for us in operatic repertoire as well as symphonic."