Mark Wigglesworth has been announced as the new Chief Conductor of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra. He will begin in his position during the 2024-25 season.

The orchestra also announced that Chloé van Soeterstède will join as principal guest conductor, while Kirill Karabits will assume the title of conductor laureate.

Wigglesworth has worked with such organizations as the Berlin Philharmonic, New York Philharmonic, London Symphony, and Royal Concertgewbouw, among others. van Soeterstède, a Taki Alsop Fellow 2019-21 and a Dudamel Fellow for the Los Angeles Philharmonic in 2021-22, will join as the Principal Guest Conductor. Both have four-year terms on their new contracts.

In a statement, Wigglesworth said, “The BSO embraces the role of a twenty first century orchestra with talent, experience, passion, and care. The commitment the entire organisation shows to the many thousands of music lovers across the entire South West of England is inspirational and I am extremely excited to be joining them at a time when classical music’s undeniable force for good has never been more vital to the quality of the communities we live in.””I will always remember my first concert with the BSO musicians,” added van Soeterstède. “Their commitment to every note, their continued support through our weeks together, and their trust and dedication to my musical ideas were greatly exciting and fulfilling. I am truly humbled and honoured to deepen my relationship with them, and to embark on a special journey together with our audiences in the South West of England.”