German conductor Anja Bihlmaier has been appointed principal guest conductor of the BBC Philharmonic,

Beethoven: Violin Concerto – Tobias Feldmann, Anja Bihlmaier, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra – BBC Proms (Photo: BBC/Andy Paradise)

German conductor Anja Bihlmaier has been appointed principal guest conductor of the BBC Philharmonic, starting in September, working alongside the orchestra’s chief conductor, John Storgårds. Bihlmaier conduct the BBC Philharmonic at the BBC Proms last night (8 August 2024) in a programme the consisted of Beethoven’s Violin Concerto with soloist Tobias Feldmann, Brahms’ Symphony No. 4 and Sarah Gibson’s warp & weft, inspired by the work of Canadian artist Miriam Schapiro.

Bihlmaier commented, “From our first concert at Bridgewater Hall, playing Shostakovich and Dvorak, I felt a special bond and mutual trust with the musicians. I love their dedication, their virtuosity and willingness to experiment, their sense of humour and most importantly their great passion for the music, and how they bring it to life for their audience. Our Proms concert last year and Bruckner 7 in Manchester were unforgettable highlights. I look forward to continuing our journey, hoping to achieve something special in the vibrant city of Manchester and at the BBC Proms.“

Bihlmaier studied at the Hochschule für Musik Freiburg and the Mozarteum Salzburg, where she was a pupil of Dennis Russell Davies and Jorge Rotter. She has been chief conductor of the Residentie Orkest since August 2021, conducted the August performances of Glyndebourne’s production of Carmen.

Prom 26 is available on BBC Sounds. Full details from the BBC website.