Encore Maestro Bellincampi!

Auckland Philharmonia is delighted to announce Giordano Bellincampi’s contract has been extended and he will continue as its Music Director until the end of 2027. Since taking up the role in 2016, the Italian-Danish conductor’s leadership and vision has elevated the New Zealand orchestra to new artistic heights and increased its international standing.

This is the third extension to Bellincampi’s contract and will represent a total of 12 years in the position. This is the longest tenure of any of the orchestra’s Music Directors.

Bellincampi has played a pivotal role in the development and success of Auckland Philharmonia. His focus on building the orchestra’s mastery of the core central European repertoire, such as Mozart, Haydn, Mendelssohn, Beethoven, Schubert, Brahms and Schumann, has been at the heart of the orchestra’s artistic growth. His tenure has also been marked by a considerable expansion of the repertoire into less frequently performed works, including a complete Nielsen symphony and concerto cycle (some of which will feature in future seasons), the complete Roman Trilogy by Respighi (planned for June of this year), and several world premieres of works by New Zealand and international composers.

His passion and expertise conducting opera has raised the profile of the Auckland Philharmonia’s annual Opera in Concert. These semi-staged productions with internationally renowned singers are a highlight of every season and have featured repertoire from Mozart and Puccini, through to the hugely acclaimed New Zealand premiere of Korngold's Die Tote Stadt in 2023. Bellincampi also played a key role in the establishment of the New Zealand Assistant Conductor-in-Residence programme. Through this initiative, he provides invaluable support and mentoring for early career conductors in the Australasian region, which helps them to build a solid foundation for a professional career.

Auckland Philharmonia’s Chief Executive, Diana Weir, says, "A key reason for my interest in taking on the Chief Executive role was the quality of artistic leadership at the helm of our organisation. I'm thrilled that our orchestra and community will continue to benefit from Giordano's leadership and musicality for a further three years beyond 2024. I've experienced first-hand how his passion for our city is reciprocated by our audience – as evidenced by the rapturous applause that greets him every time he takes the stage – and feel confident that he will lead our orchestra to new musical heights through to 2027!"

Bellincampi is thrilled to extend his close partnership with the Auckland Philharmonia and is very proud of what they have achieved together.

"It has been a joy to serve the Auckland Philharmonia as Music Director, and I am honoured to continue our relationship through to 2027. The success of our collaboration over many years has been a testament to the way in which we both complement and challenge each other, pushing creative boundaries and delivering excellence, with music always at the heart of what we do."

The announcement comes at the start of the orchestra’s 2024 Season, during which Bellincampi returns to the podium of the Auckland Town Hall to delight audiences with eight concerts across the year. Highlights to look forward to include works by Rossini, Schubert, Mendelssohn and Berlioz, as well as an opera in concert performance of Wagner’s epic Tristan und Isolde.

The 2024 Season commences with the opening concert on Thursday 15 February, The New Zealand Herald Premier Series: Passion & Mystery, featuring Tchaikovsky’s soul-stirring Symphony No.6. Visit aucklandphil.nz to book tickets to 2024 Season concerts.

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