Seattle Symphony appoints Xian Zhang as next music director

The Seattle Symphony has announced the appointment of Xian Zhang as its next music director. Zhang begins her five-year contract with the orchestra in the 2025-26 season, building on her long-standing relationship with the Symphony, which began with her Seattle debut in 2008.

Zhang is set to give two performances with the Seattle Symphony as music director designate during the 2024-25 season. She will present Holst The Planets: An HD Odyssey in March 2025 alongside saxophonist Steven Banks, then in June she joins violinist Hilary Hahn for a programme featuring Beethoven’s Violin Concerto and Prokofiev’s Fifth Symphony.

Zhang said: ‘For many years, I have been inspired by the Symphony’s incredible talent and keen desire to bring new music to the stage. Joining the Seattle Symphony now feels like coming home. From my 2008 Benaroya Hall debut to joining the orchestra in 2020 for its careful return to live performances, I have long felt a special bond with these incredible musicians… As music director, I look forward to connecting with audiences on a deeper level, experiencing inspiring concerts together and discovering new music at Benaroya Hall, one of my all-time favorite performance halls to conduct in.’

Zhang balances her new role with her responsibilities as music director of New Jersey Symphony, where she was the first woman to hold the role. As music director of Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano from 2009 to 2016, Zhang was also the first woman to serve as music director of any Italian symphony orchestra. In her new role in Seattle, she will be the first woman to lead a major West Coast orchestra.

Seattle Symphony president and CEO Krishna Thiagarajan said: ‘Xian was among the first conductors to return to the stage with our orchestra during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, she has forged strong bonds here in Seattle. In fact, her concerts rank among the highest-attended performances since audiences have returned to Benaroya Hall. As Seattle has grown into an important world city and gateway to the Pacific, Xian’s diverse expertise across Asian, Oceanian, European and American orchestras and music schools — from Beijing to New York, Melbourne to Milan — makes her the perfect choice to lead the orchestra in this new era.’