Leipzig reports: It’s Andris Nelsons

The Leipziger Volkszeitung reports this morning across half a page (not yet online) that the Gewandhaus is about to announce Andris Nelsons as its next music director from June 2016, in succession to Riccardo Chailly.

The announcement will be made late this afternoon.

Independently, we can confirm on good authority that the new chief will not be Alan Gilbert, who is well liked in the orchestra, or (on less good authority) Vladimir Jurowski, who has not worked with them all that much.

Apart from Nelsons, we are hearing no big names. But Leipzig may yet pull a rabbit from a hat. Watch this space.

And the new music director is… click here.

If Nelsons accepts the post, he will struggle to balance it with his Boston commitments.