Utah Symphony Names Markus Poschner Next Music Director

In His First Relationship with a U.S. Orchestra, German Conductor Aims to Create Musical Experiences Unique to Utah

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH (November 18, 2024)—The Utah Symphony joyfully announces the appointment of Markus Poschner as the eighth Music Director in the orchestra’s 84-year history. Poschner assumes the role of Music Director Designate immediately and he will take on full duties as Music Director in the 2027-28 season.

A celebrated figure on the podium in Europe, Markus Poschner conducts at leading orchestras and opera houses including Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Staatskapelle Berlin, Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden, Bamberg Symphony, Dresden Philharmonic, Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, Vienna Symphony, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, NHK Symphony Orchestra, Berlin State Opera, Hamburg State Opera, Oper Frankfurt, Vienna State Opera, and Zürich Opera. In addition to his new position at the Utah Symphony, Poschner is Chief Conductor of Bruckner Orchestra Linz (through 2026-27) and Orchestra della Svizzera italiana (through 2024-25), and has been named Chief Conductor of the Basel Symphony Orchestra beginning in fall 2025.

Poschner made his U.S conducting debut with the Utah Symphony in December 2022 to great acclaim from critics and audiences, was invited for a return engagement in November 2023, and now furthers and formalizes a meaningful relationship with his first American orchestra.

“The opportunity to serve as the next Music Director of the Utah Symphony—to make music with the orchestra’s exceptionally skilled musicians and engage with a community that is so welcoming and so appreciative of the arts—is a true honor,” says Poschner. “My first performance with this orchestra was a very personal, intense experience. I had conducted Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 many times, but with the Utah Symphony, the passion, energy, and bond of trust were unique. The style of the orchestra’s musicianship resonated with me. I could feel, immediately, a chemistry and a sense of familiarity, easy communication, and partnership—a knowledge that together we could build moments that would be felt deeply by our audiences.”

In his work with Bruckner Orchestra Linz, Poschner has honored the ensemble’s namesake—composer Anton Bruckner, who resided in and is beloved by the citizens of Linz, Austria—while also forging a unique path in the interpretation of his works. Poschner’s ambition in this pursuit is extraordinary, having completed a monumental recording project encompassing every version of all nine Bruckner symphonies. In 2020, in recognition of this project, Poschner and Bruckner Orchestra Linz were named Conductor of the Year and Orchestra of the Year in Austria, respectively.

Just as he has embraced this important facet of cultural history of Linz, Poschner now sees an opportunity in Utah to explore works of American composers and music that crosses genres and cultures, alongside traditional repertoire. (Trained as a pianist, he holds a special interest in jazz piano.) Recognizing the vibrant, creative, and innovative spirit of Salt Lake City and the state of Utah, he expresses excitement about the inspiration to be found here, from the downtown district that is home to Maurice Abravanel Hall, to majestic snowy peaks, to desert landscapes. “As individuals, we are products of our environment—and so is the art we create. We need only to remain open and to listen,” Poschner says. “I’m excited to bring my own biography and perspectives into dialogue with the musicians of the Utah Symphony and with Utah communities.”

The goal, he adds, will be to curate musical experiences that “could only happen in Utah.”

Utah Symphony Concertmaster and Music Director Search Committee member Madeline Adkins instantly recognized Poschner’s vision in this respect. “From our first performances with Markus Poschner, he was so curious about life here in Utah, about our organization, and about how we could best serve audiences and intentionally build our future,” she says. “A willingness to invest in the community—to seek out the conversations and collaborations that will create strong connections—is essential in an artistic leader and Markus embodies that quality.”

Like Poschner, Madeline also recalls that the first time the orchestra and conductor met on stage, it made an immediate impression. “He brings such a dynamic energy to the podium and that was my experience of him from the first notes of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony,” she says. “One of my favorite things about Maestro Poschner is that he’s willing to take risks. If you think about your favorite sports team, they don’t just play by the playbook; they’re able to respond spontaneously. The magic happens in unexpected and beautiful moments, and I know our audience can sense that as well.”

Brian Greeff, Chair of USUO’s Board of Trustees, adds that this dynamic and unexpected approach extends to the way in which Poschner develops programming. “Markus Poschner is unique in the breadth of his musical expertise and interests,” he explains. “His mastery of the core orchestra repertoire that our audiences love is simply world class and he is simultaneously an accomplished jazz pianist. That range will engage our existing audiences and create interest for people who might not yet see themselves as symphony goers. Markus is the right artistic leader to build upon the great work our musicians accomplished together with Music Director Emeritus Thierry Fischer. The personal impact that he brings as an artist, as a person, and in his thoughtfulness about our mission in our community will take our symphony to new heights.”

Patricia A. Richards, USUO Trustee and Chair of the Music Director Search Committee, agrees: “The committee recognized the importance of appointing a Music Director with a passion for building audiences and an unwavering dedication to USUO’s mission to connect the community through great live music. In his approach, Markus naturally aligns with these goals. He carefully considers how to create meaningful, emotional, and unifying experiences—and he seeks to open doors for those who are new to the world of orchestral music. For him, live music is, at its core, an exchange of energy between performers and audience members, experienced in moments that can never be replicated.”

“Markus’ leadership goes beyond the stage; he is a deeply genuine person who will embrace every aspect of what makes Utah Symphony | Utah Opera unique,” says USUO President & CEO Steve Brosvik. “He is an expert interpreter of both symphony and opera, already has exciting ideas for our future, is enthusiastic about discovering and serving audiences across Utah, and shares in our aim to build the next generation of musicians and music lovers through education programs.” (Poschner’s interest in music education comes from his personal history, as the son of a conductor and a music teacher. Some of his earliest childhood memories are of hiding under the piano, feeling its reverberations, as his mother taught lessons; perhaps inspired by that memory, he has been involved in developing immersive musical opportunities for children and families in Linz.)

“The list of reasons that Markus Poschner is the right fit as our next Music Director is long, but first and foremost is his musicianship and the joy that he brings to music making,” continues Brosvik. “The musical response on stage, and the audience response that follows, has been poignant. ‘Intensity of energy,’ ‘nuanced expertise,’ and ‘evident love of the music’ are just a few of the phrases our audience has used to describe Markus’ presence on the podium. Along with his vision for our organization and community, that is what set him apart as the right person to help lead us forward.”

Poschner’s commitment to fully embracing USUO and its mission is evident in his activities in Utah over the next week. He will conduct two performances at Maurice Abravanel Hall in downtown Salt Lake City and one concert at The Noorda Center for the Performing Arts in Orem, engage with audiences through pre-concert conversations together with Assistant Conductor Jessica Rivero Altarriba, welcome students for an open rehearsal and Q&A session, and attend an in-school education concert—all in addition to family outings with his endearing wife, Elvira, and their three children, who are eagerly exploring Utah for the first time.

WATCH: The Soundtrack of Tomorrow, following Markus Poschner’s professional and family life in Vienna and Linz, Austria.

Utah Symphony | Utah Opera expresses gratitude to the Music Director Search Committee for their commitment to the process, thorough work, and success in identifying and attracting an artistic leader of Markus Poschner’s caliber to USUO, the flagship arts organization of the Intermountain West.

Markus Poschner holds the Maurice Abravanel Chair, endowed by the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation.