The Utah Symphony has named its new music director, and it’s his first long-term gig in the United States. Markus Poschner will be the eighth music director the symphony has had in its 84-year history. He will take on the full duties of the role in the 2027-2028 season but will begin as “music director designate” immediately.
Poschner made his debut with the group in December 2022, according to a news release, then returned in November 2023. In the release, he recalled his first performance with the Utah orchestra as 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,” Poschner writes. “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.
” Poschner, who is German, has led orchestra and opera houses across Europe — from Berlin to Vienna. Trained as a pianist, he holds a “special interest” in jazz piano. He is also the chief conductor of Austria’s Bruckner Orchestra Linz (through 2026-27) and Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana (through 2024-25).
Poschner will also become the chief conductor of Switzerland’s Basel Symphony Orchestra starting in fall 2025. Poschner also has an eye for cultural music history. The release detail.