(Credit: Sarah Wijzenbeek)

Phion, Orchestra of Gelderland & Overijssel has announced the appointment of Otto Tausk as the ensemble’s new Chief Conductor.

Tausk initially engaged in violin studies with Viktor Liberman, and then orchestral conducting with Jonas Aleksa, Kenneth Montgomery and Jurjen Hempel. He started his career as an assistant with the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra under Valery Gergiev as the Principal Conductor.

After Rotterdam, Tausk held the positions of the Chief Conductor of the Holland Symfonia, and the Chief Conductor of the Tonhalle & Operntheater and Sinfonieorchester Sankt Gallen in Switzerland. Tausk has conducted a wide repertoire of operas at the Operntheater Sankt Gallen, as well as at the Oper Köln and De Nationale Opera in Amsterdam.

On Sept. 11-13, 2020, the Orchestra will formally present Tausk in his new position during a concert series in Arnhem, Nijmegen, and Enschede. In addition to the world premiere of the chamber orchestra version of Joep Franssens’ Piano Concerto, the orchestra will perform Beethoven’s Symphony No. 1.

Tausk currently holds the position of the Chief Conductor of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra.