(Credit: Kaupo Kikkas)

The Basel Sinfonietta has announced the appointment of Titus Engel as its new Principal Conductor.

The choice was made at the beginning of December in a democratically conducted vote among the members of the Basel-based orchestra. Engel will succeed Baldur Brönnimann in his new role, starting during the 2023-24 season.

Engel has conducted in such opera houses as Oper Frankfurt, the Staatsoper Stuttgart, the Basel Theater, the Grand Théâtre de Genève and the Opéra de Lyon, among others. He was named Conductor of the Year by Opernwelt magazine in 2020.

“Titus Engel as the new Principal Conductor as successor to Baldur Brönnimann is a stroke of luck for the orchestra. The collaborative opportunities we have had to date in past concerts have proven that the chemistry between the orchestra and Titus Engel is excellent. We look forward to benefiting from his wealth of experience in the field of contemporary repertoire and innovative concert formats, which are, after all, the DNA of the Basel Sinfonietta,” said President of the Orchestra Board of the Basel Sinfonietta Franziska Németi-Mosimann in an official press statement.

“I am very much looking forward to taking over the position of Principal Conductor from the 2023-24 season and thank the members of the Basel Sinfonietta for their trust. Together with these great musicians, I would like to bring about projects that demonstrate just how engaging and multifaceted the music of our time really is. My goal is to deliver special concerts for a broad audience and, at the same time, to strengthen the Basel Sinfonietta’s international profile. I am also very much looking forward to working closely with the composers and the numerous institutions in Basel that are committed to modernism,” said Titus Engel of the appointment.

The Basel Sinfonietta is the only full-sized orchestra for contemporary music in the world.