The U.K.’s Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra (BSO) has named Ukrainian conductor Kirill Karabits as its new principal conductor for the 2009 season.
The 30-year-old Karabits has a tough act to follow, succeeding Marin Alsop, who was with the orchestra for a highly successful six years.
The son of composer Ivan Karabits, Kirill Karabits is the first Ukrainian to hold a titled position in a British orchestra. He is the former associate conductor of the Budapest Festival Orchestra and former principal guest conductor of the Strasbourg Philharmonic.
Karabits, who has been described as a conductor of “passion and finesse”, first conducted the Bournemouth Symphony in October 2006, performing Beethoven, Liszt and Tchaikovsky to great critical acclaim. He will be working with the BSO for at least nine weeks each year.
Michael Henson, the BSO’s managing director said of the appointment, “The orchestra was very much drawn to his innate musicality and we became convinced that a major partnership would develop over the next five to six seasons. We have been tracking Kirill’s conducting for some time and we are seeing the beginnings of a major career which the BSO are thrilled to be part of.”
