Søndergård hired as music director of Minnesota Orchestra

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Danish conductor Thomas Søndergård has been hired as music director of the Minnesota Orchestra and given a five-year contract that starts with the 2023-24 season. Søndergård, 52, will have the title of music director designate during the 2022-23 season. He will succeed Finnish conductor Osmo Vänskä, the orchestra’s music director from 2003-04 through last season. Søndergård also is music director of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, a role he has held since 2018-19 after serving as principal conductor from 2012. Past Minnesota music directors include Eugene Ormandy, Dimitri Mitropoulos, Antal Dorati, Neville Marriner and Edo de Waart.