Kazuki Yamada Appointed Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin

It has been announced that Kazuki Yamada will become the new Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin (DSO) staring in the 2026/27 season. His tenue will be an initial period of three years As successor to Robin Ticciati, he will fulfill the role of artistic heart of the orchestra.

Kazuki Yamada’s comment:
“I am filled with great joy and deep gratitude to be appointed Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin. For a Japanese conductor to take on a leading musical role in Berlin is still a rarity – and personally very meaningful to me. I had the pleasure of working with the orchestra in April and September of last year and felt a truly special chemistry. I now look forward to our shared journey with great anticipation. I am confident that we will create something truly remarkable.”

Anselm Rose(CEO, Rundfunk Orchester und Chöre), Marlene Brüggen (Head of Artistic Planning, DSO), Kazuki Yamada, Christian Beuke (Managing Director, DSO)

Anselm Rose, Managing Director of ROC, adds: “With Kazuki Yamada, we are welcoming one of the most sought-after conductors on the international stage. His performances with the DSO have thrilled us all. He has impressed us not only with his profound musical expressiveness, but also with his passion for music and for the people – both performers and audiences – involved in the experience. With his artistic vision and abilities, he is a perfect fit for the DSO and for Berlin.”
Christian Beuke, who will succeed Dr. Thomas Schmidt-Ott as Managing Director of the DSO in September 2025, emphasizes: “Kazuki Yamada enjoys great success with leading orchestras around the world, and we are truly delighted that he will lead the DSO from September 2026. He is a conductor who captivates audiences with repertoire ranging from the classical to the contemporary. In Birmingham, he has already demonstrated through numerous outreach and education projects that he can engage and inspire a broad audience. I look forward to the creative impulses he will bring to the DSO – and to working with him personally.”
Johannes Watzel, Chair of the DSO Orchestra Board, adds: “Working with Kazuki Yamada will mark the beginning of an exciting new chapter for our orchestra. His exceptional musicality and his ability to bring even the most complex works to life with clarity and precision impressed us from the very beginning. We look forward to our shared artistic journey with great anticipation.”

Following in the footsteps of successive renowned conductors Ferenc Fricsay, Lorin Maazel, Riccardo Chailly, Vladimir Ashkenazy and Kent Nagano, Yamada will become the orchestra’s eighth Chief Conductor and Artistic Director. Be sure to follow the new journey of Kazuki Yamada and the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin.

Details of the announcement of the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin;
https://www.dso-berlin.de/en/press-area/?id_presse=844
https://www.dso-berlin.de/de/orchester/personen/chefdirigent/

Kazuki Yamada’s photos and profile;
https://www.japanarts.co.jp/en/artist/kazukiyamada/