Gijs Leenaars chief conductor of the Netherlands Radio Choir
As from the 2012-2013 season, Gijs Leenaars will be the chief conductor of the Netherlands Radio Choir. He succeeds Celso Antunes, who will step down on 31 March of this year. Gijs Leenaars has had dealings with the Netherlands Radio Choir for some time. In the 2004-2005 season he worked with the choir very regularly as assistant conductor and in later seasons as guest conductor. In the current season he is also assistant conductor of the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra and the Netherlands Radio Chamber Orchestra.
In recent years, Gijs Leenaars has built up a reputation in the Netherlands and abroad as both choral conductor and orchestra conductor. Alongside his work with the MCO, he is also artistic leader of the Holland Bach Choir and Capella Frisiae. He regularly acts as guest conductor with La Filarmonica di Torino in Italy and as repetiteur for Capella Amsterdam and the Netherlands Chamber Choir. In the coming season Gijs Leenaars will conduct concerts with ensembles such as Cappella Amsterdam, The Hague Philharmonic, the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra and the Netherlands Radio Chamber Philharmonic.
Gijs Leenaars has signed on for three seasons. He will work closely with Michael Gläser, who has been the permanent guest conductor of the Netherlands Radio Choir since the 2010-2011 season.
Celso Antunes has accepted the post of permanent guest conductor of the Orquestra Sinfônica do Estado de São Paulo as of 1 March. After his musical training in São Paulo and Cologne, Antunes built up an impressive career in Europe, performing with ensembles such as the Neues Rheinisches Kammerorchester, Champ d'Action, the National Chamber Choir of Ireland, Ensemble Modern, the Tippett Ensemble (founded by him), SWR Vokalensemble Stuttgart, BBC Singers and the Berlin Radio Choir. Celso Antunes views his appointment with the Symphony Orchestra of São Paulo in his native country of Brazil as a great honour.
Laatste aanpassing op Tuesday 31 January 2012