Breaking: Houston, we have music director

Houston Symphony has just announced Juraj Valčuha as its next Music Director, starting a year from now.

He succeeds Andrés Orozco-Estrada who has one more year to run.

Valčuha, 45, made his Houston debut in 2011 and has returned in recent seasons. A Slovak from Bratislava, he is music director of the Teatro di San Carlo in Naples until the end of 2022. He lives in France.

‘We are thrilled to announce Juraj Valčuha as our next artistic leader,’ Houston Symphony CEO said John Mangum. ‘During our search for a new Music Director, we were fortunate to narrow our selection to a superb group of individuals. An incredibly accomplished conductor with precise attention to detail, Juraj stood out for his evident chemistry with Symphony musicians and his commitment to musical excellence. We know that he will build upon the work of the Music Directors before him to support the highest level of performance imaginable for our musicians. I look forward to welcoming him back to the Jones Hall stage.’