American conductor to lead top Polish orchestra

He will become Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the National Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra in the southern city of Katowice, taking over from German conductor Alexander Liebreich.

Addressing a press conference in Katowice after signing the contract, Foster said: “An opportunity to work with this wonderful orchestra is one of the greatest honours in my musical career.

“I feel a sense of responsibility towards the orchestra and will do my best to maintain its high standard. It will be a big challenge to strike a balance between an international approach and respect for Poland’s illustrious traditions.”

He described Poland as a country with a profusion of musical talent, adding that it was his intention to promote Polish composers on the international scene.

Renowned Polish composer Krzysztof Penderecki, who is a member of the Katowice orchestra programming board, said that the ensemble deserved to have a world-calibre conductor.

Born in 1941 to a Romanian family, Foster is now Music Director of l’Opéra de Marseille in Marseille, France, a job he took in 2013. During his career, he has also worked closely with Orquestra Sinfonica de Barcelona, Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo, the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, the Houston Symphony, and Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne.

The National Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1935. It is one of Poland’s cultural heavyweights, representing the country at numerous prestigious events.

It has worked closely with the greatest Polish composers of the second half of the 20th century, including the late Witold Lutosławski and Henryk Mikołaj Górecki, as well as Penderecki, giving first performances of many of their works.

The orchestra has recorded more than 200 CDs for renowned Polish and international labels, including Decca, EMI, Philips, Chandos and Naxos. (mk/gs)