Around the Music Festival

The Boston Symphony Orchestra has announced that its contract with music director Andris Nelsons will end in the summer of 2027. The orchestra and Nelsons signed a “rolling contract” with no expiration date when the contract was renewed in 2024, which was essentially considered a lifetime music director contract, so this sudden announcement has caused controversy.

In a statement announcing the termination of his contract, CEO Chad Smith said, “The decision to not renew his contract was made by the BSO’s board of trustees because, beyond our shared desire to ensure our orchestra continues to perform at the highest levels, the BSO and Andris Nelsons were not aligned on future vision.”

In a letter to orchestra members, Nelsons said, “While this is a decision I neither expected nor wanted, I remain unwaveringly committed to you and the work we have built together. I understand that this decision has no bearing on the artistic standards, performances, or achievements of my tenure. Therefore, my goals are clear: to protect the music, support the stability of the orchestra, and continue to perform at the highest artistic standards with the BSO’s musicians.”

Nelsons was born in Riga, the capital of Latvia, in 1978 and is 47 years old. He made his debut with the Boston Symphony Orchestra in 2011. In 2014, he became the music director of the orchestra, a position left vacant by James Levine’s retirement in 2011. Since 2017, he has also served as the principal conductor of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra.



PHOTO：Gewandhausorchester Leipzig　/　Mark Allan