Canada’s National Arts Centre (NAC) announced today that Finnish conductor John Storgårds will become the NAC Orchestra’s 8th music director. His tenure begins with the 2026 – 2027 season.
Storgårds will take over from Alexander Shelley, who will have held the position for 11 seasons when he leaves the role at the end of the 2025 – 2026 season next July. Storgårds is no stranger to the NAC Orchestra or its audience, having debuted as a guest conductor in 2013. He’s also served as the orchestra’s Principal Guest Conductor since 2015.
“I couldn’t be more honoured, happy, and thrilled to become Music Director of Canada’s National Arts Centre Orchestra, an orchestra I already love so deeply. When I look back at the highlights of each season, my concerts with the NAC Orchestra always stand out among the very best moments. Not only is it a fantastic orchestra, it is also a family of wonderful musicians and people, with whom I have felt a special bond from the very first time we worked together. I also look forward to strengthening my relationship with the Orchestra’s devoted, enthusiastic, and justifiably proud audience, as well as with all Canadians,” John Storgårds says in a statement.
“On behalf of the musicians of the NAC Orchestra, I am so pleased to welcome John Storgårds as our next Music Director. Our weeks with John are always filled with challenging, profound, and exhilarating music-making. As an orchestra, we are completely in sync with John, with a depth of musical connection and trust that is truly special. His appointment marks a rare opportunity to expand an already superb relationship, adding a new layer of leadership and vision,” comments Joanna G’froerer, Principal Flute, NAC Orchestra.
The acclaimed Finnish conductor is also a virtuoso violinist. That’s how he began his career, performing with major orchestras across Northern Europe, and in Israel. It was as a concertmaster, leading the other violinists, that he became interested in conducting, and went back to study the art of leading an orchestra.
He’s served as the Music Director of the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, and Principal Guest Conductor of the BBC Philharmonic. Storgårds has also conducted the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, along with the Berlin Philharmonic, the New York Philharmonic, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Cleveland Orchestra, the San Francisco Symphony, the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, the Munich Philharmonic, and the London Philharmonic Orchestra.
Today, along with his new gig in Ottawa, he serves as Chief Conductor of the BBC Philharmonic and the Turku Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as Artistic Director of the Lapland Chamber Orchestra.
As a music director, he’s known for his imaginative programming, including focusing on the work of neglected Nordic and Finnish composers. He conducted the NAC Orchestra’s first-ever performances of Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No. 3, Vaughan Williams’s Symphony No. 5, Nielsen’s Symphony No. 2, and Sibelius’s Symphony No. 3.
He’s also a strong advocate for contemporary music, and has programmed and performed music by Kaija Saariaho, Sunleif Rasmussen, Sebastian Fagerlund, Betsy Jolas, Outi Tarkiainen, and Victoria Poleva, among others with the NAC Orchestra.
John is a supporter of new talent and helping to develop the next generation, and he’ll be involved in the orchestra’s many programs for emerging composers, conductors, and artists from across Canada.
He still maintains a career as a performing violinist, and he often combines solo and conducting engagements.
“John Storgårds is an exceptional conductor and artist, who has developed a tremendous rapport with the National Arts Centre Orchestra, one felt by both the musicians and audiences. He is passionate about working with Canadian guest artists and composers and will build on the NAC Orchestra’s long-standing commitment to furthering Canadian music nationally and internationally. We greatly look forward to welcoming him as our Music Director in September 2026,” comments President and CEO of the National Arts Centre Christopher Deacon.
We wish the NAC Orchestra and John Storgårds a long, continuing, and fruitful partnership.
Are you looking to promote an event? Have a news tip? Need to know the best events happening this weekend? Send us a note.
Get the daily arts news straight to your inbox.
