Utah Symphony Announces New Music Director

The German conductor Markus Poschner will serve as Music Director Designate until his official role starting in the 2027/28 season

The Utah Symphony has announced the German conductor Markus Poschner as its next Music Director from September 2027. Currently the orchestra’s Music Director Designate, this role is Poschner’s first association with an American Orchestra. 

Poschner will become the eighth Music Director in the orchestra’s 84-year history after its current Music Director Emeritus Thierry Fischer. 

After making his U.S. conducting debut with the Utah Symphony in December 2022, Poschner was invited back a year later for another project. 

He has conducted ensembles including the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Staatskapelle Berlin, Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden, Bamberg Symphony, Dresden Philharmonic, Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, Vienna Symphony, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, NHK Symphony Orchestra, Berlin State Opera, Hamburg State Opera, Oper Frankfurt, Vienna State Opera, and Zürich Opera. 

Additionally, he serves as Chief Conductor of Bruckner Orchestra Linz (until the 2026/27 season) and Orchestra della Svizzera italiana (through 2024/25), and will become Chief Conductor of the Basel Symphony Orchestra as of Fall 2025. 

Poschner trained as a pianist and has a special interest in jazz piano. In his new role, he will explore the works of American composers and music that crosses genres and cultures, alongside traditional repertoire. 

His upcoming concerts include two performances at Maurice Abravanel Hall and one at The Noorda Center for the Performing Arts. The event will also include pre-concert conversations, an open rehearsal, and Q&A session. 

“The opportunity to serve as the next Music Director of the Utah Symphony — to make music with the orchestra’s exceptionally skilled musicians and engage with a community that is so welcoming and so appreciative of the arts — is a true honor,” Poschner expressed in the press release. “I’m excited to bring my own biography and perspectives into dialogue with the musicians of the Utah Symphony and with Utah communities.”

“From our first performances with Markus Poschner, he was so curious about life here in Utah, about our organization, and about how we could best serve audiences and intentionally build our future,” said Utah Symphony Concertmaster and Music Director Search Committee member Madeline Adkins. “A willingness to invest in the community — to seek out the conversations and collaborations that will create strong connections — is essential in an artistic leader and Markus embodies that quality. One of my favorite things about Maestro Poschner is that he’s willing to take risks … The magic happens in unexpected and beautiful moments, and I know our audience can sense that as well.”

“[Poschner’s] mastery of the core orchestra repertoire that our audiences love is simply world class and he is simultaneously an accomplished jazz pianist,” added board chair Brian Greeff. “That range will engage our existing audiences and create interest for people who might not yet see themselves as symphony goers … The personal impact that he brings as an artist, as a person, and in his thoughtfulness about our mission in our community will take our symphony to new heights.”

“Markus’ leadership goes beyond the stage; he is a deeply genuine person who will embrace every aspect of what makes Utah Symphony | Utah Opera unique,” noted USUO’s President and CEO Steve Brosvik. “He is an expert interpreter of both symphony and opera, already has exciting ideas for our future, is enthusiastic about discovering and serving audiences across Utah, and shares in our aim to build the next generation of musicians and music lovers through education programs. The list of reasons that Markus Poschner is the right fit as our next Music Director is long, but first and foremost is his musicianship and the joy that he brings to music making … Along with his vision for our organization and community, that is what set him apart as the right person to help lead us forward.”

A short documentary following Poschner’s professional life in Europe can be viewed below.