Thomas Dausgaard

Danish conductor Thomas Dausgaard is internationally acclaimed as an artist “of huge conviction and outrageously good musicianship” (Europadisc), renowned for his creativity and innovation in programming, an extensive catalogue of critically-acclaimed recordings, and for “cataclysmic…life-affirming…sublime…” performances (The Times).

He is passionate about music’s engagement with society and the issues of our time, and its relevance and potential as a vital and innovative force in the life of current and future generations.

He recently completed his successful tenure as Chief Conductor of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra (2016-2022). He also holds titles as Conductor Laureate of the Swedish Chamber Orchestra (Chief Conductor 1997-2019), Honorary Conductor of the Danish National Symphony Orchestra (Principal Guest Conductor 2001-2004, Chief Conductor 2004–2011), and Honorary Conductor of the Orchestra della Toscana. He was previously Principal Guest Conductor (2014-2019) and Music Director (2019-2022) of the Seattle Symphony. He has been awarded the Cross of Chivalry by the Queen of Denmark, and elected to the Royal Academy of Music in Sweden.

As a guest conductor Dausgaard has worked extensively with many of the world’s leading orchestras including the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Vienna and Bavarian Radio Symphonies, Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester and Konzerthausorchester Berlin, Toronto Symphony, Houston Symphony and Bergen Philharmonic with whom he is recording Bruckner symphonies for BIS. He has also appeared with the New York, Los Angeles, Munich and St Petersburg Philharmonics, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Cleveland and Philadelphia Orchestras, London Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra of Europe, and regularly at prestigious festivals worldwide, notably the BBC Proms, Edinburgh International, Salzburg, Mostly Mozart, Ravinia and George Enescu Festivals, and Tanglewood. He has toured extensively in Europe and the US with “his” orchestras, as well as a week-long residency in Tokyo 2019, presenting the BBC Proms in Japan for the first time.