Carnegie Hall

In June 2016, Lahav Shani made his debut with the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra as conductor and solo pianist. No less than two months later, his appointment as chief conductor was announced, and he became the youngest conductor to hold the position in the orchestra’s history.

Since the 2020–2021 season, Mr. Shani has also been the music director of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, taking over from Zubin Mehta, who held the position for 50 years. Mr. Shani was previously principal guest conductor of the Vienna Symphony. He has been announced as the next chief conductor of the Munich Philharmonic and will take up the role in September 2026.

Recent and upcoming guest conductor highlights include engagements with the Vienna Philharmonic; Berliner Philharmoniker; Filarmonica della Scala; Boston and Chicago symphony orchestras; Royal Concertgebouw, Budapest Festival, and Philharmonia orchestras; The Philadelphia Orchestra; and Orchestre de Paris.

The Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra and Mr. Shani record for Warner Classics.

Grammy-winning pianist Daniil Trifonov is a solo artist, concerto champion, chamber collaborator, and composer. Combining consummate technique with rare sensitivity and depth, his performances are a perpetual source of wonder.

In the 2023–2024 season, Mr. Trifonov performs Mason Bates’s Concerto, a work composed for him; returns to The Cleveland Orchestra, New York and Los Angeles philharmonics, Orchestre de Paris, and Israel Philharmonic Orchestra; and tours the US and Europe with the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra and The Philadelphia Orchestra, respectively. In recital, he tours Europe with cellist Gautier Capuçon and embarks on a transatlantic tour with a new solo program.

Mr. Trifonov won the Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Solo Album of 2018 with the Liszt collection Transcendental. He was named Gramophone’s 2016 Artist of the Year, Musical America’s 2019 Artist of the Year, and was made a Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French government. He studied with Sergei Babayan at the Cleveland Institute of Music.

The Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra distinguishes itself with its intensely energetic performances, acclaimed recordings, and innovative audience approach. Founded in 1918, it has claimed its own position among Europe’s foremost orchestras.

After the first pioneering years, the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra developed into one of the foremost orchestras of the Netherlands under Eduard Flipse, who became principal conductor in 1930. In the 1970s, under Jean Fournet and Edo de Waart, the orchestra gained international recognition. Valery Gergiev’s appointment heralded a new period of success, which continued with Yannick Nézet-Séguin and with Lahav Shani, chief conductor since 2018.

De Doelen Concert Hall is the home of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, but the orchestra can frequently be heard in other locations—from local venues to the most prestigious halls at home and abroad. Since 2010, the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra has been a resident orchestra of the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris. With concerts around the world, educational performances, and community projects, the orchestra reaches an annual audience of 150,000 to 200,000, which includes a considerable amount of young people.

Since the groundbreaking Gustav Mahler recordings with Mr. Flipse in the 1950s, the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra has made many critically lauded recordings. At present, the orchestra has contracts with Deutsche Grammophon and BIS Records; in recent years, it also recorded for EMI and Virgin Classics. For the rereleasing of historical recordings, the orchestra formed its own label, Rotterdam Philharmonic Vintage Recordings. Livestreams of concerts are regularly available through Medici.tv. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the orchestra reached its audience with digital content. Most notable was a stay-at-home rendition of Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy,” which received 3 million views from audiences around the globe.