François-Xavier Roth has been announced as the new general music director of the City of Cologne.
He will take up the role from 1 September 2015 for a term of five years.
The city’s Councillor for Arts and Culture, Susanne Laugwitz-Aulbach, said: ‘It is very gratifying that François-Xavier Roth has decided to come to Cologne. We have managed to gain an exceptional artist for the Gürzenich Orchestra and Cologne Opera. I am convinced that with him we will have a successful era in Cologne.’
The Paris-born maestro also recently renewed his contract with the SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden und Freiburg, where he is currently principal conductor. He will continue to lead the orchestra until the 2015-16 season.
Roth said: ‘I am very excited about becoming the musical director of the City of Cologne. The Gürzenich Orchestra and the Cologne Opera are two institutions with a prestigious history and I am honoured to be able to build on this legacy. I look forward to my future work in Cologne, a city of art and progress in which I have always felt very welcome.’