Elim Chan will continue to lead the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra at least until 2025. The orchestra is extending her contract for three more seasons. This means that Belgian audiences can continue to enjoy her unique combination of power and sensitivity in the coming years.
Elim Chan, who was initially appointed as chief conductor of Antwerp Symphony for three seasons, will now remain at the head of the orchestra for another three seasons.
"When she took office in 2019, the enormous match between Elim and the orchestra was immediately confirmed, and over the past three seasons a strong bond has developed between the orchestra and the chief conductor," said intendant Joost Maegerman. "Even during the challenging pandemic, we continued to build together on our sound and playing culture."
Elim's international career has meanwhile taken great strides. "We are therefore looking forward with confidence to the next three seasons in which we will bring challenging programmes together in our Elisabethzaal and far beyond." concludes Joost Maegerman.
In addition to her concerts in Antwerp, Chan conducted the Concertgebouworkest, the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra in recent years, among others. Next season she will also be artist in residence at the Wiener Musikverein, alongside pianist Igor Levit and violinist Isabelle Faust, among others. Elim Chan: "Ever since my first concert in 2017, concert-goers in Belgium have welcomed me with open arms. The fact that we can rehearse and perform daily in that beautiful Elisabethzaal is a dream for every conductor. I am therefore looking forward to putting Antwerp Symphony on the world map further in the coming three years."
Monument
Next season, Antwerp Symphony celebrates the 125th anniversary of the Koningin Elisabethzaal. In 1897, Peter Benoit conducted the opening concert of the then Feestzaal van de Dierentuin with his own work. Next season, which appropriately revolves around the theme 'Monument', Chan will conduct, among other works, Mahler's First Symphony and Brahms' iconic Ein deutsches Requiem with Collegium Vocale Gent.
Biography Elim Chan
Since her resounding victory at the Donatella Flick Conducting Competition, Elim Chan has made a name for herself on the world's greatest international stages, and is praised for her unique combination of power and sensitivity. In recent years she has been a guest with the most prestigious orchestras in the world including the Concertgebouworkest, the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, the London Symphony Orchestra, the Philharmonia Orchestra, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra. Since the 2019-2020 season she has been chief conductor of the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra and is also affiliated as a permanent guest conductor with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. Elim studied under eminent conductors including Marin Alsop, Gustav Meier, Gerard Schwarz and Bernard Haitink. She was assistant conductor at the London Symphony Orchestra and participated in the Dudamel Fellowship programme at the Los Angeles Philharmonic. In 2022-2023 she is artist in residence at the Wiener Musikverein.