The Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra (SOČR) has announced the appointment of Elias Grandy as its next Chief Conductor and Artistic Director, beginning with the 2026/27 season. He will succeed Petr Popelka in the role.
The German-Japanese conductor first worked with the orchestra in March 2025 in a subscription concert at the Rudolfinum. Both the orchestra and Grandy pointed to the strong artistic connection formed during rehearsals and performances, which convinced them of the value of a longer-term partnership.
Reflecting on the collaboration, Grandy said: “During our first concert together, I felt that I could open myself completely to the orchestra – and that the music immediately flowed both ways. It is a rare feeling, one that cannot be planned. That makes me all the more excited about our future projects and all that we will discover together.”
Currently in his first season as Chief Conductor of the Sapporo Symphony Orchestra, Grandy also maintains regular collaborations with international orchestras and opera houses. From 2015 to 2023, he served as Music Director of Heidelberg Theatre and Orchestra, following his victory at the Sir Georg Solti International Conducting Competition.
Before turning to conducting, Grandy studied cello and conducting in Munich, Basel, and Berlin, and performed as a cellist with ensembles including the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and the Komische Oper Berlin. His approach to sound has been described as a synthesis of German orchestral discipline with the warmth and lyricism long associated with Czech symphonic playing.
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