Lorenzo Viotti seeks a new balance
Lorenzo Viotti, the current chief conductor of Dutch National Opera and the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra, has announced that he will remain in his position until season 2024/2025, after which he plans to pursue a new rhythm that prioritises his personal life and development. In his own words, Viotti stated, “I have decided to give priority in the future to my personal life and development in which I am the master of my own time. I look forward to treading new paths in this soon, after a wonderful adventure of four years as chief conductor. My relationship with the musicians, chorus members, colleagues and, of course, the audience and the city of Amsterdam will always be there.”
Viotti will return as a guest conductor with both institutions after the conclusion of his tenure as chief conductor. He made his debut with the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra in 2018 and with Dutch National Opera in 2019, and quickly gained a reputation as a favourite among fans and new audiences alike. At both institutions, Viotti has consistently performed in front of sold-out auditoriums, where an increasing number of young people can be seen.
Currently, Viotti is conducting the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra in Der Rosenkavalier, his first Richard Strauss opera. He will also appear with the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra and pianist Lucas Debargue at The Concertgebouw with Symphony No. 4 ‘concertante’ for piano and orchestra by Szymanowski and Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No. 2.
In season 2023/2024, Viotti will conduct his first Wagner opera, Lohengrin, at Dutch National Opera, while also collaborating with director Christof Loy for the first time. With a new production of Il trittico in May 2024, he and director Barrie Kosky will conclude their Puccini cycle after their successful performances of Tosca and Turandot. In late November this year, Viotti will conduct the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra in Schoenberg’s Verklärte Nacht and Verdi’s Quattro pezzi sacri. In early December, the chief conductor will conduct Bartók’s Violin Concerto No. 2, with August Hadelich as soloist, and Sibelius’ Symphony No. 1.
In the spring of 2024, Viotti will return with Mahler’s Ninth Symphony, and he will close the season with Brahms’ Double Concerto, among others, together with Lisa Batiashvili (violin) and Maximilian Hornung (cello).
