conductor

Karina Canellakis

Karina Canellakis is chief conductor of the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra. She is also principal guest conductor of the London Philharmonic Orchestra and recently completed her tenure in the same role with the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin.

Born in New York City, Canellakis grew up in a musical family and became a violinist. She graduated from the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia in 2004 and subsequently joined the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. The following year, she was admitted to the orchestra academy of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, where she gained experience as a soloist, guest leader and chamber musician. Her mentor Sir Simon Rattle encouraged her to become a conductor.

Since winning the Sir Georg Solti Conducting Award in 2016, Canellakis has made guest appearances conducting leading orchestras throughout the world, including the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the San Francisco Symphony, the Cleveland Orchestra and the Orchestre de Paris.

She was the first woman ever to conduct the Nobel Prize Concert in Stockholm, and the first woman conductor to lead the First Night of the BBC Proms in London.

Canellakis began her tenure as chief conductor of the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra in September 2019, undertaking with that orchestra their critically acclaimed Janáček opera cycle in 2022. Conductor and orchestra were nominated for a Grammy for their Bartók album in November 2023.

Canellakis featured as the Artist in Focus at Vienna’s Musikverein in the 2023–24 season, leading four separate orchestras in concerts. 

She is making her Concertgebouw Orchestra debut in the 2024–25 season. 

image: Chris Christodoulou

Karina Canellakis is chief conductor of the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra. She is also principal guest conductor of the London Philharmonic Orchestra and recently completed her tenure in the same role with the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin.

Born in New York City, Canellakis grew up in a musical family and became a violinist. She graduated from the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia in 2004 and subsequently joined the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. The following year, she was admitted to the orchestra academy of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, where she gained experience as a soloist, guest leader and chamber musician. Her mentor Sir Simon Rattle encouraged her to become a conductor.

Since winning the Sir Georg Solti Conducting Award in 2016, Canellakis has made guest appearances conducting leading orchestras throughout the world, including the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the San Francisco Symphony, the Cleveland Orchestra and the Orchestre de Paris.

She was the first woman ever to conduct the Nobel Prize Concert in Stockholm, and the first woman conductor to lead the First Night of the BBC Proms in London.

Canellakis began her tenure as chief conductor of the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra in September 2019, undertaking with that orchestra their critically acclaimed Janáček opera cycle in 2022. Conductor and orchestra were nominated for a Grammy for their Bartók album in November 2023.

Canellakis featured as the Artist in Focus at Vienna’s Musikverein in the 2023–24 season, leading four separate orchestras in concerts. 

She is making her Concertgebouw Orchestra debut in the 2024–25 season. 

Karina Canellakis is chief conductor of the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra. She is also principal guest conductor of the London Philharmonic Orchestra and recently completed her tenure in the same role with the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin.

Born in New York City, Canellakis grew up in a musical family and became a violinist. She graduated from the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia in 2004 and subsequently joined the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. The following year, she was admitted to the orchestra academy of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, where she gained experience as a soloist, guest leader and chamber musician. Her mentor Sir Simon Rattle encouraged her to become a conductor.

Since winning the Sir Georg Solti Conducting Award in 2016, Canellakis has made guest appearances conducting leading orchestras throughout the world, including the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the San Francisco Symphony, the Cleveland Orchestra and the Orchestre de Paris.

She was the first woman ever to conduct the Nobel Prize Concert in Stockholm, and the first woman conductor to lead the First Night of the BBC Proms in London.

Canellakis began her tenure as chief conductor of the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra in September 2019, undertaking with that orchestra their critically acclaimed Janáček opera cycle in 2022. Conductor and orchestra were nominated for a Grammy for their Bartók album in November 2023.

Canellakis featured as the Artist in Focus at Vienna’s Musikverein in the 2023–24 season, leading four separate orchestras in concerts. 

She is making her Concertgebouw Orchestra debut in the 2024–25 season. 

  • image: Mathias Bothor
    image: Mathias Bothor
  • image: Chris Christodoulou
    image: Chris Christodoulou