The Utah Symphony has named its new music director, and it’s his first long-term gig in the United States.
Markus Poschner will be the eighth music director the symphony has had in its 84-year history. He will take on the full duties of the role in the 2027-2028 season but will begin as “music director designate” immediately.
Poschner made his debut with the group in December 2022, according to a news release, then returned in November 2023. In the release, he recalled his first performance with the Utah orchestra as a “very personal, intense experience.”
“I had conducted Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 many times, but with the Utah Symphony, the passion, energy and bond of trust were unique,” Poschner writes. “The style of the orchestra’s musicianship resonated with me. I could feel, immediately, a chemistry and a sense of familiarity, easy communication and partnership — a knowledge that together we could build moments that would be felt deeply by our audiences.”
Poschner, who is German, has led orchestra and opera houses across Europe — from Berlin to Vienna. Trained as a pianist, he holds a “special interest” in jazz piano. He is also the chief conductor of Austria’s Bruckner Orchestra Linz (through 2026-27) and Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana (through 2024-25). Poschner will also become the chief conductor of Switzerland’s Basel Symphony Orchestra starting in fall 2025.
Poschner also has an eye for cultural music history. The release details his work with the Bruckner Orchestra Linz, where he recorded all nine of Austrian composer Anton Bruckner’s symphonies, since Buckner resided in Linz and is a local favorite.
Poschner’s efforts led him and the orchestra to be named Austria’s conductor of the year and orchestra of the year.
In the Beehive State, Poschner “sees an opportunity to explore works of American composers and music that crosses genres and cultures, alongside traditional repertoire,” according to the release. He hopes to “curate musical experiences that ‘could only happen in Utah.’”
“As individuals, we are products of our environment — and so is the art we create. We need only to remain open and to listen,” Poschner states. “I’m excited to bring my own biography and perspectives into dialogue with the musicians of the Utah Symphony and with Utah communities.”
(Palak Jayswal | The Salt Lake Tribune) Thierry Fischer at the podium on May 26, 2023, at Abravanel Hall during his second-to-last show as the conductor of the Utah Symphony.
Poschner’s predecessor, Thierry Fischer, led the symphony for 14 seasons before stepping down at the end of the 2022-2023 season. Fischer went on to become the music director of the São Paulo Symphony Orchestra.
This week, Poschner will lead performances Friday and Saturday at downtown Salt Lake City’s Abravanel Hall — which just earned a place on the National Register of Historic Places — and Thursday at The Noorda Center for Performing Arts in Orem.
