(Image Source: IMG Artists)

Seattle Symphony has named Xian Zhang as its next music director.

Zhang will initiate her five-year tenure starting during the 2025-26 season.

The conductor, who is the New Jersey Symphony‘s first woman Music Director, made her debut with the ensemble back in 2008 and has been a major collaborator since.

“I am overjoyed to be the next Music Director of the Seattle Symphony and continue creating music with this exceptional orchestra,” said Zhang, who is also the Condductor Emeritus of the Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano (she is also the first woman to serve as Music Director of any Italian symphony orchestra) in an official press release issued by the company. “For many years, I have been inspired by the Symphony’s incredible talent and keen desire to bring new music to the stage. Joining the Seattle Symphony now feels like coming home. From my 2008 Benaroya Hall debut to joining the orchestra in 2020 for its careful return to live performances, I have long felt a special bond with these incredible musicians. Visiting Seattle has always been a treat as well, for its beautiful landscapes, and of course, to see the clear devotion audiences have for the local arts community.

“As Music Director, I look forward to connecting with audiences on a deeper level, experiencing inspiring concerts together and discovering new music at Benaroya Hall, one of my all-time favorite performance halls to conduct in,” she continued. “Thank you to all of the wonderful people I have been able to work with at the Seattle Symphony so far — musicians, board members and administrative staff. I look forward to a wonderful future together.”

In 2024-25, Zhang will lead the company in performances of “Holst the Planets: An HD Odyssey” in March 2025 as well as a performance of Beethoven’s Violin Concerto and Prokofiev’s Fifth Symphony in June 2025.