Mariss Jansons, Chief Conductor
"The most important thing is absolute commitment to the orchestra." With these words, Mariss Jansons described his role as Chief Conductor of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, a position he has held for the last five years. He is the sixth conductor to have held this post since the orchestra was founded in 1888. Originally from Latvia, Mr. Jansons studied violin and conducting in Leningrad, and continued his studies with Hans Swarowsky in Vienna and Herbert von Karajan in Salzburg. In 1973, he was appointed Yevgeny Mravinsky's assistant with the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra, which his father, Arv?ds, had also conducted.
From 1979 to 2000, Mr. Jansons served as music director of the Oslo-Filharmonien and brought it to great international acclaim. He has made numerous appearances throughout the world as a guest conductor of the Berliner Philharmoniker and the Vienna and London philharmonic orchestras, as well as the leading orchestras in the US. He was appointed music director of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra in 1997, and Music Director of the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra in 2003. He relinquished his post in Pittsburgh in 2004 to assume the position of Chief Conductor of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, having previously made guest appearances with the RCO nearly every year since his first performance with the orchestra in 1988.
Mr. Jansons has received various distinctions for his achievements, including the Star of the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit, conferred on him by His Majesty King Harald V of Norway. He is an honorary member of the Royal Academy of Music in London and the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde in Vienna. Latvia's highest honor, the Three-Star Order, was conferred on him in 2006.
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
Established in 1888, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra is one of the world's most prestigious symphony orchestras. Composer and conductor Richard Strauss described it as "magnificent, full of youthful vigor and enthusiasm" in 1897. The orchestra was conferred Royal status by Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands in 1988.
The RCO's character has been shaped by several generations of musicians, a longstanding collaboration with each of the six chief conductors since its founding, and the unique acoustic properties of the Concertgebouw's main hall. The orchestra has gained widespread acclaim for its velvety strings, golden brass, and an exceptional and personal timbre of its woodwinds.
During the leadership of chief conductor Willem Mengelberg (1895–1945), composers such as R. Strauss, Mahler, Debussy, and Stravinsky conducted the ROC. Other luminaries—such as Bartók, Rachmaninoff, and Prokofiev—performed their own works as soloists. This crucial bond with contemporary composers continued with Bruno Maderna, Witold Lutoslawski, Peter Schat, Otto Ketting, and Luciano Berio, and continues with Hans Werner Henze, Pierre Boulez, and John Adams, among others.
The RCO's interpretations of the late Romantic repertoire have earned it great international acclaim. It began a tradition of performing Mahler through performances led by the composer himself, and continued it under Bernard Haitink through recordings of the complete symphonies and the Christmas Matinée concert series of Mahler works. Under the leadership of Eduard van Beinum (1945–1959), the symphonies of Anton Bruckner also became a vital part of the orchestra's repertoire.
The arrival of Chief Conductor Mariss Jansons in 2004 marked a new phase for the RCO, which has expanded its repertoire to include such major 20th-century composers as Shostakovich and Messiaen. Mr. Jansons has also conducted a broad repertoire that ranges from Haydn and Mozart, to contemporary Dutch compositions and a commissioned work by Henze.
The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra has made over 1,100 audio and video recordings. Its remarkable list of guest conductors includes Arthur Nikisch, Karl Muck, Bruno Walter, Otto Klemperer, Rafael Kubelik, Pierre Monteux, Eugen Jochum, Karl Böhm, Herbert von Karajan, Sir Georg Solti, George Szell, Carlos Kleiber, and Leonard Bernstein, among many others. It makes its home at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, a concert hall designed by architect A. L. van Gendt.
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