Breaking: Rotterdam Phil appoints Israeli music director, 27

The successor to Yannick Nézet-Séguin in 2018 will be Lahav Shani.

A bold, high-risk appointment for a major international orchestra, the youngest in the field.

Lahav Shani said: ‘I am over the moon. From the first moment, I felt a rare click with this orchestra. It is so easy to communicate with these musicians, they respond to the smallest sign. Everything I ask of them, I get, and more. And they love to take risks, just like me: never play it safe, always take it to the limit. The possibilities are endless. It doesn’t get any better than that as a conductor.’

Lahav Shani won first prize at the 2013 Gustav Mahler International Conducting Competition in Bamberg, following in the footsteps of Gustavo Dudamel. He stood in last December with the Vienna Philharmonic, winning ovations for Mahler’s first symphony and much respect from the players. But a trial with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra did not go well, players citing temperamental differences. With Rotterdam, it was all smiles.

Here’s the Rotterdam Phil’s announcement video: