Jérôme Kuhn has been appointed Associate Conductor of the BBC Concert Orchestra, starting January 2026, for an initial period of three years. Kuhn will work closely with Matthew Swann, Director of the BBC Concert Orchestra on recordings, tours and Friday Night is Music Night concerts.
Kuhn has collaborated with the orchestra over the last two years, producing recordings of operas by Richard Harvey and Gerald Barry, after live performances in Switzerland in September 2024. On Thursday 15 January 2026, he conducts the BBC Concert Orchestra in Friday Night Is Music Night at Chichester Festival Theatre. Featuring soprano Alison Scherzer, the concert will be broadcast live on Radio 3. He then joins the orchestra at the Southbank Centre for the Multitudes festival in April 2026.
Jérôme Kuhn said: “I am thrilled to be joining the BBC Concert Orchestra as Associate Conductor, alongside esteemed colleagues Anna-Maria Helsing and Edwin Outwater. The orchestra is celebrated for its versatility and ability to connect with audiences across the UK, so it’s such an honour to be working with them more closely in the seasons ahead. I’m excited to build on the orchestra’s vision, which I feel very connected to, and to explore new ideas together. It will be a joy to collaborate with the players and the team on fresh and adventurous projects for the BBC — ones that can speak to the many different communities across the UK, while looking with optimism towards the future.
Matthew Swann, Director, BBC Concert Orchestra said: “Jérôme is a unique talent, and I am delighted he is joining the orchestra as our first ever Associate Conductor. His expertise spans traditional repertoire, contemporary works, and film and television recordings, making him the ideal fit for our mission to bring inspiring musical experiences to everyone, everywhere. Our players have enjoyed working with him and I look forward to what our collaborations bring next year.”
Jérôme Kuhn is Artistic Director of the Nouvel Opéra Fribourg, Prague Symphonic Ensemble, and Ensemble Vocal de Villars-sur-Glâne. A passionate advocate for contemporary opera, Kuhn has earned acclaim for his bold interpretations of works by Thomas Adès and Gerald Barry. He led the Paris premieres of Adès’ Powder Her Face and Barry’s The Importance of Being Earnest, and recorded Barry’s La Plus Forte with the BBC Concert Orchestra, broadcast on BBC Radio 3. He has conducted premieres of two new operas by David Buckley and Richard Harvey, and the world premiere of Barry’s Salomé. He has collaborated with the Academy of Ancient Music in performances of Händel’s Messiah, Mozart’s Great Mass in C minor, and Bach’s St John Passion.
Kuhn is also an in-demand conductor for film and television, having recorded scores for Netflix and HBO at AIR Studios in London, La Seine Musicale in Paris, and Smecky Music Studios in Prague.
In the 2025-26 season, Kuhn conducts the BBC Concert Orchestra (Liszt and Mahler), the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland in Dublin (Salome), and a new production of Rusalka with Nouvel Opéra Fribourg.
