The Chamber Orchestra of Europe (COE) has announced that conductor Robin Ticciati has been named an Honorary Member of the ensemble, joining Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Sir Simon Rattle, and Sir András Schiff. Ticciati, a long-time collaborator with the orchestra, has worked with the COE for a decade, leading numerous performances and deepening his artistic relationship with the ensemble.
The connection between Ticciati and the COE dates back to December 2015, when he first conducted the orchestra at the Cologne Philharmonie with violinist Alina Ibragimova. Two years later, they collaborated on a week-long residency at Dubai Opera with Christian Tetzlaff. Since then, Ticciati has led the orchestra in a variety of projects, working with a distinguished roster of soloists, including Lisa Batiashvili, Kirill Gerstein, Augustin Hadelich, Maria Ioudenitch, Bryn Terfel, Christian Tetzlaff, Francesco Piemontesi, and Jean-Guihen Queyras. Among the vocalists he has performed with are Louise Alder, Natalya Boeva, Allan Clayton, Iestyn Davies, Magdalena Kožená, and Gerhild Romberger.
Reflecting on his appointment, Ticciati spoke about the orchestra’s distinctive approach to music-making: “Part of being a musician is about the daily necessity to reevaluate the notes we have in front of us, to search with integrity and occasional vulnerability, to quest for the ultimate truth from these wondrous composers in our lives. The COE makes that journey both possible and joyful. This is just the rehearsal… Add the audience and it is then that this magical group flies in concert with unshackled emotional zeal underpinned by a deep wisdom. Technique is never a barrier, and the parasitic effect of ‘routine’ simply doesn’t exist. The COE is all about the music. That comes first. Not an easy thing to achieve today. It’s a privilege to work with them and I look forward to our future together.”
The COE Players Committee emphasized the natural musical connection with Ticciati, stating that his approach aligns with the orchestra’s ethos of discovery and live performance. “From our first meeting there was an instant musical connection. Robin shares the COE’s reason to exist; he enables us to discover our truth in rehearsals and to share this with our audience through live music. This partnership is based on these simple fundamentals, and we are really excited to explore new aspects of our musicality and discover where we can go from here together.”
Peter Readman, Chairman of the COE, remarked on the significance of Ticciati’s appointment as the youngest Honorary Member in the orchestra’s history. “After nearly 45 years since the idea of forming the Chamber Orchestra of Europe was mooted at the Salzburg Festival in 1980, it now seems like a continuation of that early vision for the orchestra to have invited Robin to become an Honorary Member at the Salzburg Mozartwoche Festival at the end of January following great concerts in Berlin and Hamburg just days before. We look forward to building on the very special relationship we have established together over the last ten years. It feels like a new chapter has opened up in the life of the orchestra as we move towards our 50th anniversary.”
Ticciati, currently Music Director of Glyndebourne Festival Opera, has previously served as Music Director of the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin and Principal Conductor of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra. He is a frequent guest conductor with leading orchestras such as the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Berliner Philharmoniker, Wiener Philharmoniker, London Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Cleveland Orchestra.
Founded in 1981, the Chamber Orchestra of Europe has established itself as one of the foremost chamber orchestras on the international stage, working with conductors such as Claudio Abbado, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Bernard Haitink, and Paavo Berglund. The ensemble maintains strong links with major European festivals and concert halls and has built an extensive recording catalog recognized with numerous international awards, including three Gramophone Record of the Year awards and two Grammys.
Ticciati’s appointment as an Honorary Member of the Chamber Orchestra of Europe was confirmed at the Salzburg Mozartwoche Festival in January 2025, following performances in Berlin and Hamburg.
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