Cologne's Gürzenich Orchester Names New General Music Director

Colombian conductor Andrés Orozco-Estrada will step into the role

Colombian conductor Andrés Orozco-Estrada will step into his new as the new General Music Director for the city of Cologne, including its renowned Gürzenich Orchester, starting from 2025 onward.

Born in Medellín, Colombia, Orozco-Estrada began his musical life as a violinist and started to conduct aged 15. He studied with Uroš Lajovic at the Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Vienna, an institution where he now teaches.

Between 2014 and 2022, Orozco-Estrada was the Music Director of the Houston Symphony Orchestra and was also Chief Conductor of the Vienna Symphony Orchestra between 2020 and 2022.

In the present season, Orozco-Estrada will lead orchestras including the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, the Staatskapelle Dresden, the NDR Elbphilharmonieorchester, the Budapest Festival Orchestra, the Oslo Philharmonic, the Orchestre National de France, and the Israel Philharmonic.

"When Andrés Orozco-Estrada returned to the Gürzenich Orchestra at short notice in November 2022 for a project with acclaimed concerts, it was obvious that a special musical partnership was possible here," said Henriette Reker, the mayor of Cologne. 

"For the selection committee, he stood out from the high-quality field of candidates because he perfectly embodies the desired profile. With Andrés Orozco-Estrada, the city of Cologne has gained an extraordinary, innovative musician and communicator who impresses with energy, elegance and esprit."

"I am very happy to work as General Music Director of the City of Cologne and Gürzenich Kapellmeister in one of the important European cultural metropolises from 2025 and to play a decisive role in shaping its artistic future," Orozco-Estrada said.

"Together with the Gürzenich Orchestra and the Cologne Opera, I would like to inspire everyone in Cologne with music and for music and represent and present the music city of Cologne internationally. I am grateful to the city of Cologne for their trust and I dedicate myself to this great task with full commitment and passion."