The Royal Scottish National Orchestra (RSNO) has appointed Lithuanian conductor Giedrė Šlekytė as its new Music Director. She becomes the RSNO’s Music Director Designate with immediate effect and will take up her new position from the beginning of the 2027:28 Season.
Šlekytė blew audiences and critics away when she made her RSNO debut in the 2025:26 Season with her ‘crisply articulated’ (The Scotsman), ‘superbly judged’ (Bachtrack) Mahler Symphony No1. Šlekytė was then invited back to record in Scotland’s Studio in early 2026. Following the success of these performances on stage and in the studio, it was clear that Šlekytė was the right person to usher the RSNO into the future.
Šlekytė, resident in Austria, is quickly establishing a stellar career, conducting some of the world’s leading orchestras, including Vienna Symphony, NHK Symphony Orchestra Tokyo and Staatskapelle Berlin, after serving as Principal Conductor of Stadttheater Klagenfurt 2016-2018 and later as Principal Guest Conductor of Bruckner Orchester Linz 2022-2025. Well-known for her opera work, Šlekytė has had repeat invitations to the world’s most prestigious opera houses including Wiener Staatsoper, the Royal Opera House in London and Staatsoper Berlin. Šlekytė’s expertise in choral conducting and her great success in opera heralds a new era for the renowned RSNO Chorus and the RSNO Youth Chorus, which celebrates its 50th anniversary in the 2027:28 Season. Šlekytė’s connections across Europe and the rest of the world will further bolster the RSNO’s international reputation which has grown from strength to strength under current Music Director Thomas Søndergård’s direction.
Incumbent Music Director Thomas Søndergård steps into his new position of Music Director Emeritus which recognises his exceptional contributions to the RSNO and marks the 18th year since his debut. Søndergård was appointed to Principal Guest Conductor in 2012, a position he held for six seasons until his appointment to Music Director in 2018. Having taken the Orchestra on several international tours including to the USA and throughout Europe, Søndergård has enhanced the RSNO’s reputation as a world-class touring orchestra. In May, Søndergård and the RSNO will tour to China for five concerts across the country visiting Beijing, Nanjing, Shanghai and Tianjin. In the 2027:28 Season, Søndergård will return to Scotland for four concert programmes.
Music Director Designate Giedrė Šlekytė said: ‘It is a great joy and honour to be appointed as Music Director of the RSNO starting with the 2027:28 Season. I got to know the RSNO as an orchestra of musical excellence but also curiosity, versatility, open-mindedness and great energy. Lots of exciting concert programmes and recordings are in the planning, and I can’t wait to join the RSNO family, grow together and inspire the audiences in Scotland and beyond.’
Music Director Emeritus Thomas Søndergård said: ‘I’m honoured to be opening yet another chapter in my long relationship with this wonderful orchestra. The RSNO has been, and will continue to be, enormously important in both my artistic and personal life. The orchestra, Scotland, and the many close friends I’ve made here during my years as Principal Guest Conductor and Music Director all hold a special place in my heart. I look forward to continuing to make great music with the RSNO, while they embark on this exciting new chapter with Giedrė.’
RSNO Chief Executive Alistair Mackie said: ‘There are weeks in rehearsals when something shifts. A buzz starts, momentum builds. You can feel it coming from the musicians themselves. And when it does happen, our audiences can feel it too. That’s what happened with Giedrė.
When she joined us last year, her musical ideas and the way she works with players spoke for themselves. Giedrė gives the Orchestra room to breathe and to play. The connection – musical, cultural and personal – was there from the start. She is the right person to carry forward what Thomas has built. The foundation he created is a strong one: an orchestra that knows itself, plays with confidence, and is ready for what comes next.’
Chair of the RSNO Board Gregor Stewart said: ‘When Giedrė performed with the RSNO last year, we just knew we had to get her back. She returned recently for recording sessions that we can’t wait to share, and our Artistic Committee spent time in Europe, meeting her and watching her conduct. Giedrė now joining us is a complete joy and I look forward to seeing the partnership with her, Thomas and the Orchestra unfold.’
Brian Bannatyne-Scott will write an appreciation of Giedrė Šlekytė for the Edinburgh Music Review
photo credit: Simon Pauly
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