Conductors of the Wiener Symphoniker

Leaders in Sound

Chief Conductors of the orchestra

1900–25
Ferdinand Löwe

1927–30
Wilhelm Furtwängler
Music Director of Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde

1929–33
Hugo Gottesmann
Concertmaster

1934–38
Oswald Kabasta

1939–44
Hans Weisbach

1945–47
Hans Swarowsky

1948–64
Herbert von Karajan
Director of Concerts at the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde

1960–70
Wolfgang Sawallisch

1970–73
Josef Krips
Artistic Director

1973–76
Carlo Maria Giulini

1981–83
Gennadi Roschdestwenski

1986–91
Georges Prêtre
Principal Guest Conductor

1991–96
Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos

1997–2004
Vladimir Fedosejev

2005–2013
Fabio Luisi

2014–2020
Philippe Jordan

2020-2022
Andrés Orozco-Estrada 

from the 2024-25 season
Petr Popelka

 

Petr Popelka

Chief Conductor as of the 2024-25 season

Petr Popelka

Petr Popelka has established himself as one of the most beloved and in demand conductors of his generation. He will become Chief Conductor of the Wiener Symphoniker with the 2024/2025 season.

Marie Jacquot

The joy of making music together

Marie Jacquot: Principal Guest Conductor

Trust, flexibility and radiant joy in music-making - this is how Marie Jacquot characterises her relationship with the Wiener Symphoniker. As Principal Guest Conductor in the 2023-24 season, she will lead programmes of rarely performed repertoire from the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Dirigenten Georges Pretre (c) Stephan Trierenberg

Emotional Attachment

Honorary Conductors

So far only two conductors have been honoured with the title of Honorary Conductor of the Wiener Symphoniker; both true legends of music history: Georges Prêtre and Wolfgang Sawallisch.