Italian job for young Birmingham conductor

Alpesh Chauhan announced as Principal Conductor of Parma’s Filarmonica Arturo Toscanini.

Fresh from his BBC Proms debut, young Birmingham-born conductor Alpesh Chauhan has just been announced as Principal Conductor of the Filarmonica Arturo Toscanini in Parma from September 2017.

26-year old Chauhan made his debut with Filarmonica Arturo Toscanini in March 2015, when he stepped in at late notice to conduct two concerts with the orchestra. He was immediately re-invited for the 2015/16 season for performances in January and March, as well as a seven-concert tour this summer. He will join the orchestra for three engagements in the 2016/17 season, before taking up the post of Principal Conductor

Speaking about his appointment, Chauhan commented: “I really enjoy working with the Filarmonica Toscanini and we have already developed a great relationship performing Beethoven’s Eroica, Rachmaninov’s 2nd Symphony and Brahms’s 1st Symphony. Next season, we have three programmes which I have thoroughly enjoyed putting together: a programme of Kodaly’s Dances of Galanta, Mozart’s D-minor Piano Concerto with Olli Mustonen and Sibelius’s 1st Symphony; a Mozart-Stravinsky programme; and a concert of Gubaidulina and Bruckner 9. I am particularly looking forward to building on a broad and varied repertoire with the orchestra, and growing together through these ideas when I take up the post.”

Over the last thirty years the Filarmonica Arturo Toscanini has become one of Italy’s leading symphony orchestras under the baton of numerous renowned conductors. The Filarmonica has performed in major concert halls throughout the world to much critical acclaim.

Commenting on the news, Luigi Ferrari, General Manager of Arturo Toscanini Foundation, said: “The appointment of Alpesh Chauhan takes place at the end of a season which celebrates 150 years since Arturo Toscanini’s birth, and marks another step forward in the artistic and institutional development project that we have pursued for a decade. We strongly believe in investing in a young conductor whose future we expect to be bright, and whose musical skills have captivated audiences and orchestra alike since his first concert at the Auditorium Paganini in Parma. We want to focus on him to give shape to the international dimension of our orchestra, and distinguish ourselves amongst Italian regional orchestras as able to face the great symphonic repertoire.”

Ahead of taking up his new position in Parma, Alpesh Chauhan will return to the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra for three concerts as guest conductor later this year, first on October 6th and again on November 30th and December 1st following which he makes his debut with the London Symphony Orchestra on January 26th next year.