국립심포니오케스트라(KOREAN NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA)

					




◇ A multifaceted maestro with proven strength in leadership, programming, interpretation, performance, management, and international collaboration

◇ Maestro who led the transformation of the Münchner Rundfunkorchester

◇ Roberto: “The KNSO's strengths lie in its flexibility and pioneering spirit”

 

The Korean National Symphony Orchestra(KNSO) has recently announced that the Italian conductor Roberto Abbado will serve as its new Music Director. He will step into the position for 3 years in January 2026, but he has already worked with the orchestra on several occasions, including the opera Norma (2023) and the subscription concert Verdi: Requiem (2025).

 

Roberto Abbado is acclaimed as a conductor with “meticulously crafted season programming, mature interpretative insight, and a vast repertoire”. He was awarded the ‘Premio Abbiati’ for cultural merit by the Associazione Nazionale Critici Musicali(ANCM). Currently serving as the Chief Conductor of the Filarmonica del Teatro Comunale di Bologna, he has previously held key positions including Music Director of the Münchner Rundfunkorchester, the Verdi Festival in Parma, and the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía in Valencia. Abbado also maintains an active international presence, having performed with leading orchestras such as the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, Wien Symphony Orchestra, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Dresden Staatskapelle, and the LA Philharmonic.

 

He is widely known for his transformative leadership. In 1992, he was appointed Music Director of the Münchner Rundfunkorchester, which had been without a permanent conductor for three years. During his seven-year tenure, he led the ensemble to new artistic heights, expanding its repertoire with works such as Hindemith’s ‘Harmony of the World’ and Darius Milhaud’s ‘Scaramouche Suite’. His leadership was instrumental in establishing a distinctive musical identity for the orchestra and driving its artistic revitalization.

 

Abbado has also built an extensive discography in collaboration with RCA Records, with a total of 14 recordings to his name. He garnered particular attention for his interpretations of operas by Rossini and Puccini. His recording of Rossini’s <Tancredi> received the ‘Echo Klassik Deutsche Schallplattenpreis’ in 1997, while his rendition of Bellini’s <I Capuleti e i Montecchi> was nominated for BBC Magazine’s ‘Best Recording of the Year’ in 1999.

 

Roberto Abbado previously collaborated with the KNSO in the 2023 opera production of <Norma> and again in March this year for the 255th subscription concert featuring Verdi’s Requiem. His refined technique and compelling leadership, which draw out the essence of each piece with depth and clarity, left a powerful impression on Korean audiences. His appointment marks a significant turning point in the orchestra’s continued artistic development.

 

Particularly notable is his extensive experience not only with orchestras, but also in opera productions and festival leadership. Given his deep expertise across symphonic, operatic, and ballet repertoires, his artistic vision as the new Music Director of the Korean National Symphony Orchestra is drawing considerable attention and anticipation.

 

He has also been at the forefront of expanding the contemporary music repertoire, premiering works by composers such as Charles Wuorinen (1938–), Pascal Dusapin (1955–), Luca Francesconi (1956–), and Silvia Colasanti (1975–), thereby broadening the artistic landscape. There is growing interest in how he will spotlight the works of unknown Korean composers in collaboration with the KNSO.

 

Roberto Abbado highlighted the KNSO’s strengths as “pioneering spirit and flexibility,” adding, “Its musical capabilities and curiosity to explore new paths are its greatest assets. I greatly look forward to the music we will create together.”

 

A representative from the KNSO stated, “Together with Maestro Abbado, who has led some of the world’s foremost orchestras, we aim to further elevate the legacy the KNSO has built over the past 40 years. As the national orchestra of Korea, we will continue to present performances that reflect the dignity and excellence of a leading national arts institution.”