Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra Appoints New Chief Conductor And Artistic Director Elias Grandy

On Wednesday, 24 September 2025, the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra held a press conference to officially present its future Chief Conductor and Artistic Director, the German-Japanese Elias Grandy. Beginning with the 2026/2027 season, Grandy will succeed Petr Popelka.

Grandy first collaborated with the orchestra in March 2025 during a subscription concert at the Rudolfinum. From the very first rehearsals, there was exceptional chemistry between him and the musicians – the orchestra responded to his leadership with enthusiasm and unity, convincing both sides of the meaningfulness of further cooperation.

“We are delighted that Elias Grandy will become our new chief conductor. His energy, attention to detail, and ability to inspire both the orchestra and the audience were qualities that struck us from the very beginning. I believe we have ahead of us a period filled with powerful artistic experiences,” said Jakub Čížek, Director of the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra.

Elias Grandy is considered one of the most remarkable figures of his generation. He has been consistently praised for his effortless style, imbuing orchestras with a sense of calm while translating even the most complex musical ideas into inspiring, convincing, and striking performances. Currently in his first season as Chief Conductor of Sapporo Symphony, Grandy also regularly collaborates with orchestras and opera houses including Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo, Orchestre du Capitol de Toulouse, Norwegian Radio Orchestra, Belgian National Orchestra, Frankfurt Radio Symphony, Minnesota Orchestra, Semperoper Dresden, Oper Frankfurt and Nikikai Opera in Tokyo. Now, he is set to lead one of the foremost Czech orchestras.

“During our first concert together, I felt that I could open myself completely to the orchestra – and that the music immediately flowed both ways. It is a rare feeling, one that cannot be planned. That makes me all the more excited about our future projects and all that we will discover together,” said Elias Grandy about the upcoming collaboration.

Grandy’s tenure will be marked by a spirit of openness and artistic curiosity. His aim is to bring the orchestra’s distinctive voice to an even wider public through creative programming that reflects both the richness of the Czech tradition and its dialogue with the wider European heritage, as well as through recordings and international touring. His approach to sound combines German heritage with the warmth and lyrical intensity that has long been a hallmark of Czech orchestral playing.

Born and raised in Germany, Grandy studied cello and conducting in Munich, Basel, and Berlin. Before stepping on the conductor’s podium, he performed as a cellist with ensembles such as the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and the Komische Oper Berlin. Spending his formative years in leading German opera houses, he began his conducting career at the State Theatre in Darmstadt and soon after won the Sir Georg Solti International Conducting Competition. From 2015 to 2023, he served as Music Director of Heidelberg Theatre and Orchestra.

German-Japanese conductor Elias Grandy is increasingly recognized as a distinctive voice among today’s conductors. He is admired for his passionate temperament, precise musicianship, and an effortless podium presence that brings even the most complex musical ideas to life with clarity, depth, and emotional intensity.

Grandy was appointed Chief Conductor of the Sapporo Symphony Orchestra in 2025, following on from eight successful seasons as Music Director of the Theater and Orchester Heidelberg in Germany, a position he held until 2023. He is equally at home in both symphonic and operatic repertoire.

Highlights of recent seasons include highly successful guest conducting appearances with orchestras such as the Vienna Symphony, Mozarteumorchester Salzburg, Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra, Deutsche Radio Philharmonie Saarbrücken Kaiserslautern, Orchestre du Capitol de Toulouse, Brussels Philharmonic, Orchestre National de Belgique, Antwerp Symphony, Orquesta Filarmónica de Buenos Aires at Teatro Colón, Yomiuri Nippon Symphony, Kyoto Philharmonic, Utah Symphony, and Minnesota Orchestra.