Maestro Dawid Runtz will continue to lead the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra as their chief conductor for another three-year term, as decided after an open call announced in January this year. The general manager of the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra, Filip Fak, appointed Dawid Runtz to the position of chief conductor, confirming the orchestra's overwhelming majority vote to support the continuation of the successful collaboration with the young Polish maestro.
„From the very first encounter with Maestro Runtz, which took place during a rehearsal for the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra's concert in Kuwait in 2019, I realized that he is a conductor of rare caliber, blending exceptional musical talent with professional maturity, who achieves balanced and composed communication with the orchestra and possesses an inexhaustible enthusiasm and dedication to music which adorn all of his performances. I am delighted to be able to create and share the next chapter of our orchestra's history with such an artistic partner“ – concludes the former member and now the general manager of the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra, Filip Fak.
The Philharmonic and Maestro Runtz have shared three very successful years of intensive collaboration, during which the orchestra has greatly improved in quality and stability. The continuity ensured by another three-year term will undoubtedly contribute to further artistic development of the orchestra. Maestro Runtz has found his second home in Zagreb, forging strong connections with the Croatian music community. Recognizing its challenges and opportunities, he has actively contributed to the development and valorization of the entire music scene. Some of the most important projects he has accomplished with the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra so far, apart from a series of highly successful concerts, include work on the orchestra's international visibility and international performances, the initiation of the Dora Pejačević Festival, a recording project of a series of albums for the Naxos label featuring works by Croatian composers and artistic direction of the Zagreb Music Spring Festival, which opens in just a few days, which was launched in collaboration with the Vatroslav Lisinski Concert Hall.
Maestro Runtz's biography is available at the following link: https://www.zgf.hr/en/orchestra/chief-conductor/.