Baldur Brönnimann

Brönnimann has conducted significant performances of major works by composers such as Saariaho, Romitelli, Boulez, Vivier, Schnebel, Birtwistle and Zimmerman at festivals such as Lucerne, Wien Modern, Darmstadt, Donaueschingen, Grafenegg, Mostly Mozart at Lincoln Center and the BBC Proms, and is held in the highest regard by many of today’s living composers including Chin, Lachenmann and Neuwirth.  Brönnimann conducts widely at the highest level across Europe, and in 24/25 his guest conducting highlights include return engagements with Orquesta de Valencia, Orquesta Sinfónica de Castilla y León, Orquestra Sinfónica do Porto Casa da Música and Deutsche Radio Philharmonie.

In the opera house, Brönnimann has conducted Ligeti Le Grand Macabre at English National Opera, Komische Oper Berlin and Teatro Colón (Buenos Aires) in both the La Fura dels Baus and Barrie Kosky productions, John Adams Death of Klinghoffer at English National Opera, Saariaho L’amour de loin at the Bergen Festival and Norwegian Opera, and Romitelli Index of Metals with Barbara Hannigan at the Theater an der Wien. At Argentina’s Teatro Colón he has also conducted Schoenberg Erwartung, Szymanowski Hagith, and Helmut Lachenmann The Little Match Girl with the composer as narrator and Zimmermann Die Soldaten.

In 2023 Brönnimann was appointed Principal Conductor and Artistic Director of the Real Filharmonia de Galicia and the Escola de Altos Estudos Musicais, (the orchestra’s school for advanced orchestral studies). The main focus points of his first two seasons have been support for young and upcoming musicians, composers and conductors, the development of closer interaction with local communities, establishing new concert formats for new audiences, and with his programme planning he has brought in an emphasis on the dialogue between the classical repertoire and contemporary works, a new series of baroque and classical music in historically informed performance practice and new initiatives for composers, conductors and the local music scene.

He was Principal Conductor of the Basel Sinfonietta between 2016-2023, Principal Conductor of the Orquestra Sinfónica do Porto Casa da Música between 2014-2020, Artistic Director of Norway’s leading contemporary music ensemble BIT20 from 2011–2015 and from 2008–2012 Music Director of the National Symphony Orchestra of Colombia in Bogotá.

Born in Switzerland, Brönnimann trained at the City of Basel Music Academy and at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester where he was subsequently appointed Visiting Tutor in Conducting, and he now lives in Madrid.

 

2024/25 season / 504 words. Not to be altered without permission.