MARCH, FRIDAY 14
Stefán Ragnar Höskuldsson named principal flautist of the Berlin Philharmonic
Icelandic flautist Stefán Ragnar Höskuldsson has been appointed principal flautist of the Berlin Philharmonic following a successful audition. Höskuldsson has served as principal flautist of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra since 2015 and previously held the same position at the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra in New York.
He studied at the Reykjavík School of Music and the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester. Alongside his orchestral career, he performs as a soloist and chamber musician internationally and teaches at DePaul University and the Pacific Music Festival.
MARCH, FRIDAY 14
Alex Prior named music director of the Eugene Symphony
British conductor and composer Alex Prior has been appointed music director-designate of the Eugene Symphony, with his tenure set to begin in fall 2025. Prior, who made his professional conducting debut at 14, was previously chief conductor of the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, where he led new commissions and the orchestra’s first recordings in over 30 years.
A graduate of the St. Petersburg Conservatory, Prior has conducted major orchestras including the San Francisco Symphony, Detroit Symphony, and Gewandhaus Orchestra, as well as opera productions in Germany, Denmark, and Canada. Known for his advocacy of contemporary composers, he has championed works by Missy Mazzoli, Gabriella Smith, and Tanya Tagaq, among others.
Prior plans to relocate to Eugene when his tenure begins.
MARCH, WEDNESDAY 12
Christian Øland appointed chief conductor of the Danish Philharmonic Orchestra
Danish conductor Christian Øland has been appointed chief conductor of the Danish Philharmonic Orchestra (Sønderjyllands Symfoniorkester). The position had been vacant for a season, and Øland, who has previously conducted the orchestra, will now take on a longer-term role.
Øland studied at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki and became an assistant conductor at the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra at just 19, working with conductors like Esa-Pekka Salonen and Herbert Blomstedt. In recent years, he has led ensembles such as Det Kongelige Kapel, the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, and the Oslo Philharmonic.
His first season with the Danish Philharmonic will highlight Nordic composers while incorporating contemporary works. The orchestra’s music director, Adam Stadnicki, described him as “one of Denmark’s most promising young conductors” and emphasized his involvement in outreach and educational projects.
MARCH, MONDAY 10
Ravenna Festival 2025: Muti, Mehta, and Harding Among This Year’s Highlights
The 36th edition of the Ravenna Festival will take place from 31 May to 30 July, with additional events in autumn, including a trilogy of Handel operas in November. This year’s programme is shaped by the festival’s motto, “Where there is music, there can be no harm”, inspired by Don Quixote, reflecting themes of courage and artistic expression.
Riccardo Muti and his Orchestra Cherubini will open the festival with a Beethoven and Mozart programme. The following day, The Tallis Scholars will mark the 500th anniversary of Palestrina’s birth with a performance at the Basilica of San Vitale.
Two major Italian orchestras will also take part in the festival. Zubin Mehta will lead the Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino in works by Beethoven and Strauss, while Daniel Harding, the new music director of the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, will conduct a programme featuring Mahler, Wagner, and Brahms.
The festival will continue in November with a trilogy of Handel operas led by Ottavio Dantone and Accademia Bizantina. New productions of Orlando and Alcina by director Pier Luigi Pizzi will be staged, alongside a performance of Messiah.
The full programme includes more than 100 performances and over 1,000 artists, spanning from orchestral concerts to contemporary music, theatre, and dance. For more information, visit the official Ravenna Festival website.
MARCH, MONDAY 10
Patrick Hahn named administrative director of Ensemble intercontemporain
The Ensemble intercontemporain has announced the appointment of Patrick Hahn as its new administrative director, effective 1 July 2025. His nomination was made by France’s Minister of Culture, Rachida Dati, upon the recommendation of the Ensemble’s president, Emma Lavigne, and with the agreement of its board.
Hahn, a graduate of the University of Cologne in musicology, literature, and philosophy, is currently the artistic director of the Musik der Zeit concert series with the WDR Symphony Orchestra and the Wittener Tage für neue Kammermusik festival. He previously worked as a dramaturge at the Stuttgart State Opera before becoming the artistic delegate of the Gürzenich Orchestra Cologne.
With extensive experience in contemporary music and multidisciplinary projects, Hahn is expected to focus on highlighting the Ensemble’s repertoire and new commissions. He will also collaborate with the Philharmonie de Paris as part of the ongoing institutional integration process led by its director general, Olivier Mantei.
Hahn succeeds Olivier Leymarie, who has been appointed deputy director of the Aix-en-Provence Festival. The musical direction of the Ensemble remains under Pierre Bleuse.
MARCH, MONDAY 10
Palau de la Música Catalana announces 2025-26 season
The Palau de la Música Catalana has announced its 2025-26 season, featuring the Palau 100, Palau Òpera, and Palau Grans Veus cycles. The programme includes performances by orchestras such as the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Staatskapelle Dresden, and Budapest Festival Orchestra, with conductors including Teodor Currentzis, Sir Simon Rattle, Myung-Whun Chung, Daniele Gatti, Iván Fischer, and Zubin Mehta.
The season will also include performances by soloists such as violinists Anne-Sophie Mutter and Janine Jansen, pianists Yuja Wang, Seong-Jin Cho, and Mao Fujita, and cellists Kian Soltani and Pablo Ferrández. The Palau Grans Veus cycle will present singers including Cecilia Bartoli, Piotr Beczała, Sondra Radvanovsky, Julia Lezhneva, and Jakub Józef Orliński, while Palau Òpera will feature concert performances of Il Mitridate Eupatore by Scarlatti, Alcina and Giulio Cesare by Händel, and Orfeo ed Euridice by Gluck.
The Orfeó Català is also scheduled to perform Beethoven’s Missa solemnis with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Gustavo Dudamel in February 2026. More details and the full programme are available here
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