The Orchestre national de Cannes has announced the appointment of Holly Hyun Choe as its next Music Director, beginning with the 2026–27 season for an initial four-year term.
Born in South Korea and raised in Los Angeles, Choe is currently based in Germany and is known for her work with leading orchestras across Europe and the United States. A laureate of the 2020 Maestra Competition at the Philharmonie de Paris, she has established herself as one of the most promising conductors of her generation.
A former assistant conductor of the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich under Paavo Järvi, Choe has recently appeared with ensembles including the Orchestre de Paris, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Philharmonisches Staatsorchester Hamburg, and the Kammerakademie Potsdam. In 2025, she will make her Los Angeles Philharmonic debut, conducting as part of the Dudamel Fellowship Program.
She is also known for her advocacy of works by women composers, regularly programming music by Ethel Smyth, Lili Boulanger, Jessie Montgomery, Anna Thorvaldsdottir, and others.
The appointment in Cannes follows her recent nomination as Music Director of the Norwegian Radio Orchestra (KORK), starting in January 2026.
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