Swiss conductor Philippe Jordan, who was music director at the Opéra National de Paris for 12 years (appointed in 2009, aged 35, he remained there until 2021), will take over as director of the Orchestre National de France starting in 2027. He will succeed Romanian Cristian Macelaru, who will step down after a seven-year term. The son of conductor Armin Jordan (1932-2006) was promoted to Kapellmeister at Vienna's prestigious State Opera in 2020. However, back in October 2022, he announced that he would not renew his contract after 2025. The 50-year-old, who was also conductor of the Wiener Symphoniker from 2014 to 2020, is back in France, this time at the helm of a major symphony orchestra, determined, after two posts with major opera houses, to shed the "red tape" associated with opera. We interviewed the maestro via WhatsApp, just a few days before his concert with the Orchestre National de France on Thursday, November 21, at the Maison de la Radio et de la Musique in Paris.
After two stints in major opera houses – my 12 years at the Paris Opera followed by five years at the Vienna Opera, whose final season will come to an end in the summer of 2025 – it was obvious to me that I wanted to move into the symphonic field. As soon as I gave my first concert with the Orchestre National de France on October 3, 2022, I realized that I had found a partner that corresponded with me in its way of making music. This feeling grew even stronger when we met for the second time on October 14, 2023. I said to myself, "Finally!" Everything then followed naturally.
No, although my experience with the Orchestre de Paris was also a great one. But the question didn't arise, as negotiations with the Orchestre National de France had already begun.
When I discovered the "National," I was very surprised to find so many similarities with the Opéra orchestra. Each has its own personality, of course, if only because of the repertoires they serve, but both possess that suppleness and clarity of sound, as well as the finesse of playing, that characterize French orchestras. This corresponds to my own conception of sound. I also like their curiosity and the way they're always looking to deepen their work.
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