Jaap van Zweden, who has led the New York Philharmonic as music director since 2018, will step down from the podium at the end of the 2023–2024 season. The announcement of his resignation arrives the same week as the cultural organization launches its 2021–2022 season, which will take up various venues throughout the city as its usual home (Lincoln Center’s David Geffen Hall) undergoes renovations.
“It is not out of frustration, it’s not out of anger, it’s not out of a difficult situation,” van Zweden told The New York Times. “It’s just out of freedom.” The conductor spent a majority of his time during the pandemic in his native Netherlands with family, which contributed to the shift in his personal and professional outlook.
The Philharmonic season begins September 17 with a program titled From Silence to Celebration, featuring works by Anna Clyne, George Walker, Beethoven, and more. Van Zweden will conduct.
Van Zweden also serves as music director with Hong Kong Philharmonic; he has said he will also step down from that position when his contract expires in 2024.
