(Credit: Kaupo Kikkas)

The Basel Sinfonietta has announced the appointment of Titus Engel as the new Principal Conductor.

The choice was made in early December during a democratic vote among the members of the Basel orchestra. Engel will succeed Baldur Brönnimann in his new role, starting in the 2023-24 season.

Engel has conducted in opera houses such as the Frankfurt Opera, the Stuttgart Staatsoper, the Basel Theater, the Geneva Grand Theater and the Lyon Opera, among others. He was named conductor of the year by Opernwelt magazine in 2020.

“Titus Engel as new principal conductor as successor to Baldur Brönnimann is a stroke of luck for the orchestra. The collaboration opportunities we have had so far in past concerts have proven that the chemistry between the orchestra and Titus Engel is excellent. We look forward to benefiting from his rich experience in the field of contemporary repertoire and innovative concert formats, which are, after all, the DNA of the Basel Sinfonietta ”, said Franziska Németi-Mosimann, President of the Orchestra Board from the Basel Sinfonietta an official press release.

“I am very much looking forward to taking on the role of Principal Conductor from the 2023-24 season and I thank the members of the Basel Sinfonietta for their trust. With these great musicians, I would like to carry out projects that demonstrate how the music of our time is truly engaging and multifaceted. My aim is to offer special concerts for a large audience and, at the same time, to strengthen the international profile of Basel Sinfonietta. I am also very much looking forward to working closely with the composers and the many Basel institutions committed to modernism, ”said Titus Engel of the nomination.

The Basel Sinfonietta is the only full-size orchestra for contemporary music in the world.