The Minnesota Orchestra announced today that Danish conductor Thomas Søndergård will succeed Osmo Vänskä to become the 11th Music Director to lead the Orchestra in its 120-year history. He will initially serve as Music Director designate in the 2022-23 season before beginning his new role in Minnesota in September 2023 for an initial term of five years. “Our Search Committee sat up and took notice of the captivating concerts that Thomas Søndergård conducted with the Minnesota Orchestra last December, and his return performance five months later proved similarly electric,” said Board Chair Joseph T. Green. “Here was a conductor of the highest caliber who invited the musicians to make music with him, and the result was thrilling. We believe his humanity, artistry and collaborative approach are a great match for the Minnesota Orchestra and our community.” Thomas will lead the Orchestra in at least 12 subscription weeks per year. He next conducts three performances this coming October, leading Lili Boulanger’s Of a Spring Morning and two ballet scores: Maurice Ravel’s Mother Goose and Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring. The performance on Friday 21 October will be livestreamed on the Orchestra’s website and social media channels. Thomas was appointed Music Director of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra in 2018 after six seasons as their Principal Guest Conductor, and will continue this role alongside his new appointment in Minneapolis. He has also served as Principal Conductor and Musical Advisor to the Norwegian Radio Orchestra and Principal Conductor of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales (BBC NOW). The Minnesota Orchestra will introduce Thomas to their supporters in an event that will be livestreamed on Facebook and the Orchestra’s Youtube channel on Friday 29 July at 10:30 AM Central Time.