In consultation with the orchestra’s Supervisory Board, the Members’ Assembly of the Wiener Symphoniker has appointed the German orchestral manager Jan Nast to follow Johannes Neubert as Intendant. He will start on 1 October 2019.

Jan Nast is currently the Orchestra Director of the Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden. He began there in the era of Giuseppe Sinopoli and later collaborated with Christian Thielemann as Chief Conductor. Nast also made the Staatskapelle into the orchestra in residence of the Salzburg Easter Festival. Trained as a hornist and cultural manager, he began his career as the orchestral director of the Philharmonisches Orchester Freiburg im Bresgau.

“The Wiener Symphoniker are the first orchestra of the city of Vienna; its international star quality is due not only to its performances worldwide and its concerts in the Wiener Konzerthaus and Musikverein but also to its presence at the Bregenz Festival, the Theater an der Wien and the Vienna Festival”, says Jan Nast. “I know of hardly any other orchestra with this kind of connection to its audience, not least thanks to its musical education work, and I am firmly convinced that this ensemble has the potential to embody the musical richness of Vienna in the highest musical quality and to spark people’s passion for music. I’m looking forward to my shared journey with the orchestra that has been led in the past by Wilhelm Furtwängler, Herbert von Karajan and Carlo Maria Giulini, is currently led by Philippe Jordan and, from 2021, will be led by Andrés Orozco-Estrada. The musicians’ enthusiasm and passion are my reason for exploring new horizons with them.”

“In the person of Jan Nast, the orchestra has succeeded in bringing an internationally experienced and respected orchestra expert to Vienna”, explains the Vienna City Councillor for Culture, Veronica Kaup-Hasler. “I’m convinced that Nast will continue the work begun by Johannes Neubert to position the Wiener Symphoniker as a top-flight orchestra acknowledged as such by international critics, and I therefore congratulate our musicians on their new Intendant.”

Thomas Schindl, Orchestra Chairperson of the Wiener Symphoniker, adds: “By hiring Jan Nast, we have gained as our Intendant an experienced orchestral manager who enjoys exceptional respect and has excellent networks in the international music world. We welcome this appointment warmly. In addition to his qualifications, experience and skills, we were especially excited by his plans and ideas for the future of the Wiener Symphoniker. That we have managed to attract the manager of one of the world’s leading orchestras also reflects how much we have gained in prestige and drawing power over recent years. With the combination of our current Music Director Philippe Jordan, the incoming Music Director Andrés Orozco-Estrada and our new Intendant Jan Nast, the orchestra’s positive development over recent years can be continuously driven forward. We’re looking forward to working together.” 

The job became vacant after the current Intendant, Johannes Neubert, moved to the Orchestre National de France in Paris for the 2019-20 season. Jan Nast was appointed on the recommendation of an 11-strong expert jury set up on the initiative of Veronica Kaup-Hasler. Members of the recruitment committee were:

• Prof. Rudolf Streicher – Chairperson of the Supervisory Board of the Wiener Symphoniker
• Arne Forke – Office of the City Councillor for Culture, Veronica Kaup-Hasler, consultant
• Prof. Franz Patay – member of the Association of the Wiener Symphoniker – Vereinigte Bühnen Wien GmbH, CEO
• Thomas Angermair – member of the Association of the Wiener Symphoniker – Kanzlei DORDA, lawyer, partner
• Dr. Elisabeth Freismuth – Austrian Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research, special representative of the Federal Minister
• Dr. Artemis Vakianis - Austrian Science Fund, Commercial Vice President
• Prof. Julia Purgina – Music and Arts University of the City of Vienna, Course Director for String Instruments
• Christoph Lieben-Seutter – HamburgMusik GmbH – Elbphilharmonie, CEO and General Intendant
• Thomas Schindl – Board of the Wiener Symphoniker
• Josef Eder – Board of the Wiener Symphoniker

A total of 55 applications were received: 40 male and 15 female. 34 came from Austria; 21 people applied from abroad.