The Orchestre de la Suisse Romande has appointed Tugan Sokhiev as its next Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor. The initial three-season appointment will begin with the 2026–27 season, marking the conductor’s first major long-term leadership position since stepping down from his posts at the Bolshoi Theatre and the Orchestre national du Capitole de Toulouse in 2022.
According to the orchestra, Sokhiev’s artistic relationship with the Geneva-based ensemble began in 2024 and quickly developed through a series of successful collaborations. His performance of Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 5 in October 2024 received strong support from the orchestra’s musicians, leading the foundation to invite him to take on the newly defined leadership role.
In addition to conducting, Sokhiev will help shape the orchestra’s artistic direction. His responsibilities will include participation in auditions and recruitment processes, while concert programming and touring projects will be developed in collaboration with the orchestra’s management and artistic committee. From the 2027–28 season onwards, he is expected to spend six weeks per season in residence in Geneva.
The appointment comes at a particularly prominent moment in Sokhiev’s career. During the 2026–27 season he is scheduled to return to ensembles including the Berlin Philharmonic, Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Gewandhausorchester Leipzig and Dresden Staatskapelle. He has also been chosen to conduct the Vienna Philharmonic’s 2027 New Year’s Concert, one of the most widely watched classical music events in the world.
Return to a leadership role
Sokhiev’s appointment is notable because it represents his return to a permanent artistic leadership position after a period in which he worked primarily as a guest conductor.
In March 2022, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Sokhiev resigned simultaneously from his positions at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow and the Orchestre national du Capitole de Toulouse. At the time, he said he felt pressured to take a public political position and described himself as being forced to choose between his “beloved Russian” and “beloved French” musicians.
Despite the controversy, Sokhiev has remained a regular guest with many of the world’s leading orchestras, including the Vienna Philharmonic and Berlin Philharmonic. His appointment in Geneva signals a new chapter in a career that continues to occupy a prominent place on the international classical music scene.
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