Music Director Emeritus
Thierry Fischer
Swiss conductor Thierry Fischer has been Music Director of the Utah Symphony since 2009 and becomes Music Director Emeritus in 2023. Principal Guest of the Seoul Philharmonic 2017–2020, in March 2020 he began as Music Director of the Sao Paulo Symphony.
In Utah he has revitalized the organization, instigating a major commissioning program, taking the orchestra to Carnegie Hall for the first time in 40 years, recording Mahler symphonies for Reference Records and beginning a Saint-Saens cycle for Hyperion.
Recent guesting has included Boston Symphony, London Philharmonic, Royal Philharmonic, Bergen Philharmonic, Rotterdam Philharmonic, BBC Symphony, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Maggio Musicale Firenze, Salzburg Mozarteumorchester, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, also Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Mostly Mozart New York, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, London Sinfonietta and Ensemble Intercontemporain.
Whilst Principal Conductor of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales from 2006-2012, Fischer appeared every year at the BBC Proms, toured internationally, and recorded for Hyperion, Signum and Orfeo. His recording of Frank Martin’s opera Der Sturm with the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus won the ICMA award in 2012 (opera category). In 2014 he released a Beethoven disc with the London Philharmonic on the Aparte label.
Fischer started out as Principal Flute in Hamburg and at the Zurich Opera. His conducting career began in his 30s when he replaced an ailing colleague, subsequently directing his first few concerts with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe where he was Principal Flute under Claudio Abbado. He spent his apprentice years in Holland, and became Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor of the Ulster Orchestra 2001–2006. He was Chief Conductor of the Nagoya Philharmonic 2008–2011, making his Suntory Hall debut in Tokyo in May 2010, and is now Honorary Guest Conductor.