Around the Music Festival

The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra has announced that it will create its first permanent guest conductor position. The new post will be created through a donation from the family of long-time principal conductor Bernard Haitink. The first permanent guest conductor will be Aurel Dawidiuk, starting with the 2024/2025 season.

Dawidiuk, 24, was born in Hanover, studied at the Zurich University of the Arts starting in 2020, and was accepted to the Conductors’ Forum of the German Music Council in 2021. He has attended master classes with Paavo Järvi, Jaap van Zweden, and Joana Mallwitz, and has conducted ensembles such as the Bern Symphony Orchestra, Basel Chamber Orchestra, Thessaloniki City Symphony Orchestra, and Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra.

The late Haitink（1929-2021）gave numerous master classes during his career and was known for his willingness to appoint young conductors as assistants. According to his wife Patricia, “Bernard always wanted to give his younger colleagues a chance. Dawidiuk was chosen from four young musicians for the audition.

PHOTO：Gstaad Festival　/　Theresa Pewal