Nikolaj Szeps-Znaider

After an acclaimed first year at the helm, Nikolaj Szeps-Znaiders continues his Music Directorship of the Orchestre National de Lyon. Szeps-Znaider is a regular guest conductor of the world’s leading orchestras, with upcoming returns to the podiums of the Chicago Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal. In a season celebrating many of his long standing relationships, Szeps-Znaider also makes his much anticipated debut with the London Philharmonic Orchestra.

Following an outstandingly successful debut conducting ‘Magic Flute’ at the Dresden Semperoper, Szeps-Znaider was immediately re-invited to conduct ‘Der Rosenkavalier’ at the House in Autumn 2019. With a new production of ‘Magic Flute’, he made his debut with the Royal Danish Opera, and will continue to build upon his association with the work as he takes Mozart’s timeless classic to Zurich Opera House in the Spring.

Also a virtuoso violinist, Szeps-Znaider maintains his reputation as one of the world’s leading exponents of the instrument with a busy calendar of concerto and recital engagements. The 22/23 season sees appearances with the NDR Elbphilharmonie and Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, as well as the Israel, Dresden and Bern Philharmonics.

Szeps-Znaider enjoys a strong relationship with the London Symphony Orchestra; an orchestra he has worked with extensively both as conductor and as soloist. Together they recorded the complete Mozart Violin Concertos, directed from the violin by Szeps-Znaider, with The Strad extolling his playing as ‘possibly among the most exquisite violin sound ever captured on disc’.

His extensive discography also includes the Nielsen Violin Concerto with Alan Gilbert and the New York Philharmonic, the Elgar Concerto in B minor with Sir Colin Davis and the Dresden Staatskapelle, award-winning recordings of the Brahms and Korngold concertos with Valery Gergiev and the Vienna Philharmonic, the Beethoven and Mendelssohn concertos with Zubin Mehta and the Israel Philharmonic, the Prokofiev Concerto No. 2 and Glazunov Concerto with Mariss Jansons and the Bavarian Radio Symphony, and the Mendelssohn Concerto on DVD with Riccardo Chailly and the Gewandhaus Orchestra. Szeps-Znaider has also recorded the complete works of Brahms for violin and piano with Yefim Bronfman.

Szeps-Znaider is passionate about supporting the next generation of musical talent, and is President of the Nielsen Competition, which takes place every three years in Odense, Denmark. He plays the “Kreisler” Guarnerius “del Gesu” 1741 on extended loan to him by The Royal Danish Theater through the generosity of the VELUX Foundations, the Villum Fonden and the Knud Højgaard Foundation.