Italian conductor Fabio Luisi has received a contract extension as Chief Conductor of the DR Symfoniorkestret (Danish National Symphony Orchestra). Having just completed his tenth season in the role, he will now remain until at least 2032.
Throughout his tenure, Luisi has worked closely with the orchestra on interpretations of Danish music, creating a strong sense of national identity. Together, they have recorded Carl Nielsen’s symphonies on the Deutsche Grammophon label, and performed music by Danish composers in a number of the world’s leading concert halls, including the Berliner Philharmonie, Suntory Hall, the Royal Albert Hall, and the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg.
Luisi is presently also the Music Director of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and Tokyo’s NHK Symphony Orchestra. In the operatic realm, he previously served as Principal Conductor of the Metropolitan Opera and spent nine seasons as General Music Director of the Zurich Opera.
A keen perfume “nose,” Luisi also runs the fragrance house FLPARFUMS, and in 2025 he released the fragrance “Joie Éclatant”, which was designed exclusively for the Danish National Symphony Orchestra.
“With the appointment of Fabio Luisi as chief conductor, we got a unique artistic and human match between the orchestra and conductor – a rarity in the international orchestral world,” said Kim Bohr, Chief Executive of the DR Koncerthuset.
“Together they have developed the orchestra and put Danish music in a larger international perspective. This has been done through performances of Danish music on some of the world’s most important concert stages, critically acclaimed recordings and collaborations with a number of classical music’s biggest international names. All for the benefit of Danish musical life and for our audience, listeners and viewers. This gives us a very strong starting point for further cooperation.”