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Jaap van Zweden

Conductor emeritus

The entire world has already been introduced to Jaap van Zweden, from Amsterdam, Vienna and Berlin to Hong Kong, Seoul and New York. Between 2008 and 2011, Antwerp enjoyed his talent as the Chief Conductor of the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra.

In 2012, he was named ‘Conductor of the Year’ by the music magazine Musical America, and he caused a sensation in Asia with the first-ever performances of Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen in Hong Kong. The ultimate crowning achievement came in 2018, when he became Music Director of the New York Philharmonic, following in the footsteps of greats such as Gustav Mahler and Leonard Bernstein. Since 2024–2025, he has served as Music Director of the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, and from 2026–2027, he will begin his tenure as Music Director of the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France.

A true musician to his core, he was accomplished long before he took to the podium. As an eighteen-year-old prodigy, he was appointed the youngest-ever leader (concertmaster) of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. He won awards for recordings including Brahms’ violin sonatas and for his role as leader in Mahler’s Ninth Symphony under Bernstein, who was quick to discover the young violinist's conducting talent. Beyond the concert halls, Jaap and his wife Aaltje are committed to helping children with autism through their Papageno Foundation. Through music therapy, the Papageno House in Laren, and support for research, they have spent more than 25 years supporting the development of children with autism. Since 2022, Jaap van Zweden has been Conductor Emeritus of the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra; in 2027, they will perform Stravinsky’s Le sacre du printemps together in Belgium and the Netherlands.

www.jaapvanzweden.com
 

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