Kent Nagano announced Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of Orquesta y Coro Nacionales de España, starting September 2026 (December 2024)
December 19, 2024
As announced yesterday evening by the Instituto Nacional de las Artes Escénicas y la Música (INAEM) of the Ministry of Culture in Madrid, Kent Nagano will be the next Chief conductor and Artistic Director (Director Titular y Artístico) of the Orquesta y Coro Nacionales de España (OCNE) in Madrid starting in September 2026, for an initial period of 5 years.
Kent Nagano comments: “The richness of Spain, reflected in its language, culture, history and the profound influence of its arts over time, represents a far-reaching cultural resonance that continues to inspire audiences around the world. I am honored to have received the OCNE’s invitation to collaborate with them in building the next chapter of this important musical tradition, connecting today’s generation to Spain’s vibrant cultural relevance, nurtured by its renowned literature, poetry, visual arts and dance. Together with the OCNE as a cultural ambassador we will look to the future with the purpose of bringing this great tradition into the 21st century.”
Previously Kent Nagano has guest conducted the Orquesta Nacional de España and the Coro Nacional de España on three occasions: in June 2018, with Hans Werner Henze’s Die Bassariden; in June 2021, with works by Gabriel Fauré and Olivier Messiaen; and in April 2024, when he conducted Haydn’s The Creation.