The Italian conductor will remain at the helm of the Copenhagen-based orchestra for another three years, extending a partnership that marks its tenth anniversary this September.
Fabio Luisi will remain chief conductor of the Danish National Symphony Orchestra through the summer of 2032, extending one of the longest-running current partnerships between a major European orchestra and its chief conductor.
The new agreement adds three years to Luisi’s previous contract, which was due to expire in 2029, and comes as the Italian conductor marks a decade at the helm of the orchestra.
Luisi officially took up the position on 1 September 2016. The anniversary will be marked during the orchestra’s 2026/27 season-opening concerts on 3 and 4 September at DR Koncerthuset in Copenhagen, with Rudolf Buchbinder as soloist.
Over the past decade, Luisi and the Danish National Symphony Orchestra have developed a partnership extending well beyond their Copenhagen season, with international tours and a substantial recording relationship with Deutsche Grammophon.
Their recordings of Carl Nielsen’s symphonies and concertos have brought particular international attention to the collaboration. The cycle has received major awards, while also reinforcing an emphasis that has characterised Luisi’s tenure: taking Danish repertoire beyond Denmark.
The orchestra and Luisi have performed in venues including the Berlin Philharmonie, Tokyo’s Suntory Hall, London’s Royal Albert Hall and Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie. Their recording projects have subsequently expanded beyond Nielsen, including the orchestral music of Alexander Scriabin and an ongoing project devoted to Arnold Schoenberg.
Kim Bohr, head of DR Koncerthuset, described the relationship between Luisi and the orchestra as an unusual artistic and personal match, crediting the partnership with developing the ensemble while giving Danish music greater international visibility.
Before opening their Copenhagen season, Luisi and the orchestra will appear at Austria’s Grafenegg Festival with Buchbinder, performing music by Nielsen, Brahms and Beethoven. Further European appearances are scheduled for spring 2027, including concerts in Dresden and Baden-Baden and an appearance at the Prague Spring Festival.
The coming season will be the Danish National Symphony Orchestra’s 101st, following its centenary celebrations in 2025/26.
Luisi, 67, is also music director of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and chief conductor of Japan’s NHK Symphony Orchestra. His previous positions have included leadership roles at the Metropolitan Opera, the Vienna Symphony and Zurich Opera.
If the newly extended contract is completed, Luisi will have spent 16 years as chief conductor of the Danish National Symphony Orchestra.
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