Ana María Patiño-Osorio appointed music director of Medellín Philharmonic Orchestra
The Medellín Philharmonic Orchestra (Filarmed) has announced the appointment of Ana María Patiño-Osorio as its next music director, effective from the 2026 season. At just 30 years old, the Colombian conductor becomes the first woman to lead the orchestra and one of the few women holding a top post in Latin American professional orchestras.
Born in La Unión, Antioquia, Patiño-Osorio studied in Medellín and Zurich, and has held positions with the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande and the Bogotá Philharmonic. She was recently named a 2025–26 Dudamel Fellow at the Los Angeles Philharmonic and garnered multiple awards at the 2024 Malko Competition in Copenhagen.
Her role in Medellín will combine artistic leadership, international representation, and community engagement. Filarmed describes her appointment as the beginning of “a new era” for the orchestra and a reaffirmation of its mission to promote local talent with global reach.
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JULY 9, 2025
Jonathan Bloxham named Principal Conductor of the London Mozart Players
The London Mozart Players have appointed Jonathan Bloxham as their new Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor, formalizing his expanded role after three years as Conductor in Residence and Artistic Advisor.
Bloxham’s tenure has seen the launch of a new concert series at St Martin-in-the-Fields, expanded touring across the UK and internationally, and the development of large-scale community initiatives in Croydon, where the orchestra is based. He will lead the ensemble into the 2025–26 season in this new capacity.
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Lydia Steier to lead Ruhrtriennale from 2027 to 2029
The American-born stage director Lydia Steier has been appointed as the next Artistic Director of the Ruhrtriennale, Germany’s largest arts festival in North Rhine-Westphalia. She will take over on 1 November 2026, succeeding Ivo Van Hove, whose second season opens this August.
Steier will oversee the festival’s 2027 to 2029 editions, coinciding with its 25th anniversary. Her appointment was confirmed unanimously by the supervisory board of Kultur Ruhr GmbH, chaired by State Culture Minister Ina Brandes, and approved by the regional cabinet.
Known for her acclaimed opera productions in cities including Frankfurt, Paris, Vienna, Berlin, Geneva, New York, and Tokyo, Steier was also director of opera at Theater Luzern from 2020 to 2023.
In a statement, she described the Ruhrtriennale as “a love letter to art” and expressed her intention to deepen the festival’s ties with the region’s urban and diverse communities.
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JULY 8, 2025
Neeme Järvi temporarily steps away from the stage after podium fall
Estonian conductor Neeme Järvi, 87, will take a temporary break from conducting after falling from the podium during an outdoor concert on Sunday evening at the XXVIII Festival of Song in Tallinn.
The accident occurred at the end of the performance, as Järvi was distributing flowers to the soloists during the encore, Kodumaa. According to festival spokesperson Sten Weidebaum, the conductor is recovering in hospital and remains in good spirits, though he sustained an injury to his cervical vertebrae.
In statements to several media outlets, including Delfi and ERR, Järvi acknowledged that recovery will take time and expressed regret that the fall happened in front of such a large audience. He also noted that, at his age, balance issues are not uncommon: “I behaved like a young man. I just need to be more careful,” he said, adding that both he and his doctors are optimistic.
Järvi, father of conductors Paavo Järvi and Kristjan Järvi, is expected to remain off the podium for the foreseeable future, following medical advice.
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