“Martín and the MSO continue to impress with thrilling, visceral performances…”
MSO Managing Director, Sophie Galaise has announced the extension of tenure of Chief Conductor Jaime Martín until 2028, adding the role of Artistic Advisor to his duties.
“Since joining the MSO as Chief Conductor in 2022, Jaime has been an exceptional leader, collaborator, and colleague. We are thrilled that he has accepted a new contract from 2025 onwards that will see him add an Artistic Advisor role to his duties as Chief Conductor,” Galaise says. “In just a few short years Jaime has won the hearts of Melburnians and Victorians with his charm and wit, and inspired musicians and audiences alike with his passion, dedication and immense talent. I know that our Orchestra and our community join me in celebrating this wonderful news.”
In his first term as Chief Conductor for the MSO, Martín has committed the Orchestra to an ongoing exploration of musical and cultural diversity with a focus on elevating First Nations musicians, female composers, and cross-genre collaborations. Martín’s new duties as Artistic Advisor will extend his influence on core programming and creative direction, working with the MSO Programming team – including incoming Director of Programming, Andrew Moore.
Martín says he is excited about the future of the MSO and his leadership role.
“Over the last few years I have had many moments of joy getting to know our incredible players and enthusiastic audiences, along with our dedicated subscribers and Patrons. I have also been able to work with some of Australia’s extraordinary musical talent, creators and performers”.
“It has been a privilege to share some of my favourite artists and composers with Australian audiences; I am excited to explore more beloved and adventurous repertoire in our existing and future programming”.
“I am delighted to be able to renew my commitment to the MSO and wish to thank Managing Director Sophie Galaise, my collegiate Artistic Family and all the musicians with whom I have had the pleasure of working in this brilliant Orchestra. I want to extend particular thanks to our fabulous audiences from Melbourne, Victoria and across the Nation who are central in our planning and who continue to support orchestral music performed in its many different forms”.
Martín recently conducted a five-star performance of Mahler 3 and will next take the baton for the Ryman Healthcare Season Opening Gala: Jaime conducts The Planets, featuring Earth, the World Premiere of the MSO commission by Deborah Cheetham Fraillon AO. In May he conducts a program of Debussy, Strauss and Ethel Smyth before returning in June/July to continue his Dvořák cycle, part of a multi-year recording project in partnership with the London Symphony Orchestra’s recording label, LSO Live.
With the MSO a fixture on the global stage, Martín will lead the Orchestra in a special performance in Yogyakarta, Indonesia in July, with future international engagements to follow.
"A visionary conductor, discerning and meticulous”
About Jaime Martín
Chief Conductor of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra since 2022, Jaime Martín is also Music Director of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, and currently in his final season as Chief Conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland. He is the Principal Guest Conductor of the Orquesta y Coro Nacionales de España (Spanish National Orchestra) for the 22/23 and 23/24 seasons and from 2013 to 2022 was Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of Gävle Symphony Orchestra.
Having spent many years as a highly regarded flautist, working with the most inspiring conductors of our time, Jaime turned to conducting full-time in 2013 and has become very quickly sought after at the highest level. Recent and future engagements include his debuts with the Budapest Festival Orchestra, the Dresden and Netherlands Philharmonic and Dallas Symphony Orchestras, and return visits to the London Symphony Orchestra, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, Colorado Symphony, Antwerp Symphony, Orquesta Sinfónica y Coro de RTVE (ORTVE) and Galicia Symphony orchestras, as well as a nine-city European tour with the London Philharmonic Orchestra.
In recent years Martín has conducted an impressive list of orchestras that includes the Frankfurt Radio Symphony, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Royal Scottish National, Swedish Radio Symphony, Barcelona Symphony, New Zealand Symphony, Queensland Symphony, Sydney Symphony, Deutsche Radio Philharmonie Saabruecken, Essen Philharmonic and Philharmonia Orchestras, the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra and the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France. He has forged strong relationships with renowned soloists such as Anne Sophie von Otter, Joshua Bell, Pinchas Zukerman, Christian Tetzlaff and Viktoria Mullova, among many others. Martín has also commissioned multiple world and regional premieres of works by composers Ellen Reid, Andrew Norman, Missy Mazzoli, Derrick Spiva, Albert Schnelzer and Juan Pablo Contreras.
Martín is recording a series for Ondine Records with the Gävle Symphony Orchestra; this includes the Brahms Serenades, Songs of Destiny, Brahms choral works with the Eric Ericson Chamber Choir, and a recording of the Brahms Piano Quartet arranged by Schoenberg, which was released in February 2019. He has also recorded Schubert Symphony No. 9 and Beethoven Symphony No. 3 Eroica with Orquestra de Cadaqués and various discs with the Barcelona Symphony Orchestra for Tritó Records. In 2015 he recorded James Horner’s last symphonic work Collages for four horns and orchestra with the London Philharmonic Orchestra.
As a flautist, Martín was principal flute of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra of Europe, English National Opera, Academy of St Martin the Fields and London Philharmonic Orchestra. Also sought-after as a soloist, he made a recording of Mozart flute concertos with Sir Neville Marriner, the premiere recording of Sinfonietta Concerto for Flute and Orchestra written for him by Xavier Montsalvatge and conducted by Gianandrea Noseda, and Bach works for flute, violin, and piano with Murray Perahia and Academy of St. Martin in the Fields for Sony.
Martín spent several years as Artistic Director of the Santander Festival, bringing financial stability and creating an internationally-renowned platform for some of the most exciting artists in their fields, ranging from symphony orchestras and baroque ensembles to education workshops and ballet companies. He was also a founding member of the Orquestra de Cadaqués, with whom he was associated for thirty years, and where he was Chief Conductor from 2012 to 2019.
Jaime Martín is a Fellow of the Royal College of Music, London, where he was a flute professor. He now enjoys working with many of his former students in orchestras around the world.
