Anja Bihlmaier has been appointed principal guest conductor of the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra.
From September 2024, Bihlmaier will work with Adam Szabo, director of the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, to plan and deliver its programme of concerts, collaborative projects, recordings, and broadcasts for audiences in and around Manchester as well as on BBC Radio 3.
On Thursday, August 8, Bihlmaier is set to conduct the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra at the BBC Proms in Prom 26: Beethoven, Brahms and Sarah Gibson, featuring violinist Tobias Feldmann in Beethoven’s Violin Concerto in D major. She will return for Glyndebourne’s production of Carmen on Thursday, August 29.
I look forward to continuing our journey, hoping to achieve something special in the vibrant city of Manchester and at the BBC Proms
Anja Bihlmaier
Anja Bihlmaier said: “I am thrilled to join the BBC Philharmonic team as principal guest conductor, alongside such a respected colleague as John Storgårds. From our first concert at Bridgewater Hall, playing Shostakovich and Dvorak, I felt a special bond and mutual trust with the musicians. I love their dedication, their virtuosity and willingness to experiment, their sense of humour and most importantly their great passion for the music, and how they bring it to life for their audience. Our Proms concert last year and Bruckner 7 in Manchester were unforgettable highlights. I look forward to continuing our journey, hoping to achieve something special in the vibrant city of Manchester and at the BBC Proms.”
Adam Szabo, director, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra said: “We’re thrilled that Anja Bihlmaier is joining the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra as our Principal Guest Conductor. She’s a rare talent – courageous and daring, meticulous, and brilliantly connected to the musical drama of every work she tackles. Our players have loved working with her and getting to know her, and we can’t wait to see where this next chapter takes us.”
Bihlmaier has been chief conductor of the Residentie Orkest since August 2021, and debuted at the BBC Proms in 2023.
Across 2024 and 2025 she is also conducting the Munich Philharmonic, NDR Elbphilharmonie Bergen Philharmonic, Swedish Radio Symphony, Seattle and Toronto symphonies, and Spanish National Orchestra.
PHOTO: Marco Borggreve
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