The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra has announced the appointment of Antony Hermus as its next Chief Conductor, beginning in September 2027.
The Dutch conductor will succeed Ryan Wigglesworth, who announced earlier this year that he would step down after five seasons in the post. Wigglesworth will continue to collaborate with the orchestra as a guest conductor.
Hermus is already a familiar figure to Scottish audiences, having built a close relationship with the orchestra since his debut in 2018. Over the past eight years he has become one of the ensemble’s most frequent guest conductors, earning praise for imaginative programming and energetic performances.
As Chief Conductor, Hermus will lead the orchestra’s subscription concerts in Glasgow, oversee recording projects, tour throughout Scotland and make regular appearances with the ensemble at the BBC Proms in London.
“I am incredibly excited to step into this new chapter as Chief Conductor of the extraordinary BBC SSO,” Hermus said in a statement. “From our very first recording to our latest concerts together, I felt a deep connection, mutual trust and freedom in the music-making.”
The appointment comes as Hermus concludes a successful tenure as Chief Conductor of the Belgian National Orchestra, where he has served since 2022. This season alone, he led the orchestra on a tour of South Korea, conducted performances at Brussels’ BOZAR and accompanied the finals of the prestigious Queen Elisabeth Competition.
His recent guest engagements have included appearances with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, the Danish National Symphony Orchestra, the Barcelona Symphony Orchestra and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Upcoming engagements include debuts and returns with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra and the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra.
Hermus has also established a strong reputation in opera. He serves as Principal Guest Conductor of Opera North and won a Sky Arts Award for the company’s 2025 production of Verdi’s Simon Boccanegra. Earlier this season, he made his debut at the Finnish National Opera conducting Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel.
The BBC SSO’s Director, Dominic Parker, described Hermus as a conductor who brings “a palpable sense of energy and deep musical insight to every project,” while BBC Scotland Director Hayley Valentine praised his “imaginative and boundary-pushing body of work.”
Before officially taking up the post, Hermus will return to conduct the orchestra in October 2026 in performances of Mahler’s Symphony No. 10 in Glasgow and Perth, paired with a work by fellow Dutch composer Willem Jeths.
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