Jaap Van Zweden is set to close his tenure as music director of the New York Philharmonic after a brief six seasons, two of which were partially spent in lockdown. For the 2025/26 concert season, he will succeed Mikko Franck as music director of the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, and, in turn, will be succeeded by Gustavo Dudamel at the NYP.
Van Zweden says his departure is not borne of conflict, but of a desire to be closer to the orchestra he is directing. He said: "I strongly believe in heart-to-heart contact, eye-to-eye contact, and not through a camera or something... I was pushed into the century of Skyping and electronics. It's not me."
The now-63-year-old Dutchman began directing the New York Philharmonic in 2018. In 2020, the pandemic canceled a planned European tour to open the Concertgebouw's Mahler Festival, along with the rest of the season.
"I think that would have sunk anybody's music directorship," said principal cello Carter Brey. "It felt like we were achieving a nice meshing with him. ...It was a good chemistry and suddenly it was gone full stop."
Van Zweden lived in Amsterdam with his family during this time.
He then returned to New York to lead the NYP at various venues in 2021/22, when the David Geffen Hall was being renovated. Shortly after the start of the season, he announced his plans to leave after three seasons. "I carried the orchestra in a difficult time," he said.
Van Zweden does not leave the orchestra on bad terms. It was he who brought in former Philharmonic president Deborah Borda, who, in turn, raised funds for the NYP home venue's renovation. "Jaap tuned the hall," said current Philharmonic president Gary Ginstling. "This hall, which is part of transforming the Philharmonic for years to come, is always going to be associated with Jaap's tenure as music director."
By the time of his exit, Van Zweden will have led 245 performances, including 20 world premieres. He looks forward to his time in France: "In Paris, I can experience anew the musical colors familiar to me from Amsterdam's Royal Concertgebouw, another great European orchestra."
