The Colorado Symphony is thrilled to announce that Principal Conductor Peter Oundjian will be elevated to Music Director, agreeing to a four-year contract beginning in the 2025/26 Season. A dynamic presence in the conducting world, Oundjian is renowned across the globe for his vibrant collaborative spirit and engaging musicality. In addition to his work on the podium, Oundjian will continue in a leading role in the artistic planning for the orchestra, helping to cement the Colorado Symphony as a preeminent 21st century orchestra.

"For many years, it has been my great pleasure to work with the extraordinary musicians of the Colorado Symphony, first as a frequent guest conductor and most recently as their Principal Conductor,” said Oundjian. “I am profoundly honored to step into the role of Music Director and to continue our musical journey together. This new chapter is a thrilling opportunity to deepen our connection with our community, innovate, and reach new artistic heights as an orchestra. I look forward to building on our shared successes and bringing dynamic and inspiring performances to Colorado audiences in the years to come."

With a career spanning five decades, Oundjian began as a solo violinist, and first violinist of the Tokyo String Quartet, followed by an international conducting career leading orchestras in virtually every major musical center in the world. After a 14-year tenure as the Music Director of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, and six years at the helm of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Oundjian was named Music Director of the Colorado Music Festival in 2019 and continues in that role.

He joined the Colorado Symphony as Principal Conductor prior to the 2022/23 Season and has overseen the orchestra’s remarkable emergence from the COVID-19 pandemic, presiding over the most successful period for the orchestra this century. In addition to conducting six Classics performances each season, Oundjian has been a tenacious fundraiser and led special collaborations with artists like Yo-Yo Ma and Itzhak Perlman.

“We are absolutely delighted to announce Peter Oundjian as Music Director of the Colorado Symphony,” said Mark Cantrell, President & CEO. “Peter's exceptional artistry, visionary leadership, and deep commitment to our musicians and community have been evident throughout his tenure as Principal Conductor. His promotion marks an exciting new era for our orchestra. We look forward to the innovative and inspiring performances that Peter will undoubtedly bring, and we are confident that his leadership will continue to elevate the Colorado Symphony to new artistic heights.”

Recognized as a masterful and dynamic presence in the conducting world, Oundjian has developed a multi-faceted portfolio as a conductor, violinist, professor, and artistic advisor. He has been celebrated for his musicality, collaborative spirit, innovative programming, commitment to mentoring young musicians and an engaging personality that instantly puts musicians, students, and audiences at ease.

Now carrying the title of Conductor Emeritus, Oundjian’s fourteen-year tenure as Music Director of the Toronto Symphony served as a major creative force for the city of Toronto and was marked by a reimagining of the TSO’s programming, international stature, audience development and touring as well as a number of outstanding recordings; TSO garnered a Grammy nomination in 2018 and a Juno award for Vaughan Williams’ Orchestral Works in 2019. He led the orchestra on several international tours to Europe and the USA, conducting the first performance by a North American orchestra at Reykjavik’s Harpa Hall in 2014.
"Peter Oundjian's appointment as Music Director is a significant and natural progression for the Colorado Symphony,” said Anthony Pierce, Chief Artistic Officer. “Since 2022, his remarkable musicality, dedication, and vision as our Principal Conductor have profoundly impacted our orchestra. Elevating Peter to Music Director acknowledges his exceptional leadership and the deep connection he has fostered with our musicians and audiences across Colorado. We are excited to continue this journey with Peter at the helm, inspiring us all to reach even greater levels of excellence."
From 2012-2018, Oundjian served as Music Director of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra during which time he implemented the kind of collaborative programming that has become a staple of his directorship. Oundjian led the RSNO on several international tours, including North America, China, and a European festival tour with performances at the Bregenz Festival, the Dresden Festival as well as in Innsbruck, Bergamo, Ljubljana, and others. His final appearance with the orchestra as their Music Director was at the 2018 BBC Proms where he conducted Britten’s epic War Requiem. In 2019, Oundjian presented his first in-person season as Music Director of the Colorado Music Festival in Boulder, where he has already garnered critical acclaim and attention for innovative programming and for commissioning new works, putting the Festival on the map of summer classical-music festivals.

Oundjian has been a visiting professor at Yale University’s School of Music since 1981, and in 2013 was awarded the school’s Sanford Medal for Distinguished Service to Music. A dedicated educator, Oundjian conducted the Yale and Juilliard Symphony Orchestras and the New World Symphony during the 2018/19 season.

An outstanding violinist, Oundjian spent fourteen years as the first violinist of the renowned Tokyo String Quartet before he turned his energy towards conducting.