Anja Bihlmaier appointed Principal Guest Conductor of the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra

Anja Bihlmaier has been appointed Principal Guest Conductor of the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, starting September 2024. Anja will work closely with Adam Szabo, Director of the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, to plan and deliver an ambitious programme of concerts, collaborative projects, recordings, and broadcasts for audiences in and around Manchester as well as on BBC Radio 3.

Anja Bihlmaier said: “I am thrilled to join the BBC Philharmonic team as Principal Guest Conductor, alongside such a respected colleague as John Storgårds. From our first concert at Bridgewater Hall, playing Shostakovich and Dvorak, I felt a special bond and mutual trust with the musicians. I love their dedication, their virtuosity and willingness to experiment, their sense of humour and most importantly their great passion for the music, and how they bring it to life for their audience. Our Proms concert last year and Bruckner 7 in Manchester were unforgettable highlights. I look forward to continuing our journey, hoping to achieve something special in the vibrant city of Manchester and at the BBC Proms.”

Adam Szabo, Director, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra said: “We’re thrilled that Anja Bihlmaier is joining the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra as our Principal Guest Conductor. She’s a rare talent – courageous and daring, meticulous, and brilliantly connected to the musical drama of every work she tackles. Our players have loved working with her and getting to know her, and we can’t wait to see where this next chapter takes us.”

Anja Bihlmaier’s musical intuition, charisma, and precision make her one of the leading conductors of her generation. She has been Chief Conductor of the Residentie Orkest since August 2021, and following her BBC Proms debut in 2023, she returns in 2024 with the BBC Philharmonic on Thursday 8 August, as well as with Glyndebourne’s production of Carmen on Thursday 29 August.

In 24/25 she conducts the Munich Philharmonic, NDR Elbphilharmonie Bergen Philharmonic, Swedish Radio Symphony, Seattle and Toronto symphonies, and Spanish National Orchestra. Notable debuts in the past season have included: London Philharmonic, Wiener Symphoniker, National Symphony Orchestra Washington, Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse, Mahler Chamber, Sydney and Melbourne Symphony orchestras and at the Salzburg Mozartwoche.