(Credit: Juan Millan T.)

The Teatro Municipal de Santiago-Opera Nacional Chile has named Paolo Bortolameolli as the new principal conductor for the Santiago Philharmonic Orchestra.

Bortolameolli commences his tenure in 2026 and his contract runs through 2028. During this time, he is set to conduct such operas as “Madama Butterfly” and “Salome,” as well as “The Ring Without Words.”

Bortolameolli made his debut with the ensemble in 2013 and by 2019, he had worked with over 60 orchestras and was named Principal Guest Conductor.

“I accept this position with immense pride and joy, at a point where I’ve built a very special artistic and personal relationship with the Santiago Philharmonic Orchestra,” the conductor said, per an official press release. “This also closes the circle that began when, as a child, I first heard this same orchestra and dreamed of becoming a conductor. It’s an indescribable honor to begin this new chapter with my beloved orchestra, and I hope it continues to inspire others.”

“After an unprecedented participatory process, where we gathered input from our orchestra musicians and built a desired profile alongside the board, we now have the next Principal Conductor of the Santiago Philharmonic Orchestra: Paolo Bortolameolli. His innovative, international, flexible vision, full of curiosity and ambition, will bring renewed energy not only to the orchestra but to our theater in the coming years,” added Carmen Gloria Larenas, General Director of the Municipal Theater of Santiago.

Bortolameolli was named among Forbes “50 Most Creative Chileans” in 2024 and delivered a TED Talk in New York back in 2018. He also published his first book, “Rubato: Musical Processes and a Personal Playlist,” in 2020.

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