Kirill Petrenko

Kirill Garrievich Petrenko (Russian: Кирилл Гарриевич Петренко) is an Austrian-Russian conductor, born on 11 February 1972 in Omsk, at that time in the USSR.

Petrenko became particularly well-known through his work with various prestigious orchestras and opera houses. He began his career in Austria, where he worked at the Vorarlberger Landestheater and later at the Meininger Theater in Germany. In 2002 he was appointed music director of the Komische Oper Berlin.

In 2015 Petrenko was appointed chief conductor of the Berliner Philharmoniker, one of the most prestigious conducting positions in the world. He officially began in this role in 2019, following the departure of Simon Rattle. Under his leadership, the orchestra has continued to develop, with a focus on both the traditional symphonic repertoire and on modern and lesser-known works.