Episode 104 Thomas Søndergård

Thomas Søndergård

What a pleasure it was talking to Danish conductor Thomas

Sondegard as he began his journey as music director of the

Minnesota Orchestra. Bringing broad experience in both

orchestral and opera repertoires, he has been music director of

the Royal Scottish National Orchestra since 2018. Between 2012

and 2018, he served as principal conductor of the BBC National

Orchestra of Wales, and he has appeared with all the major

orchestras in Europe. He is also a familiar figure in Scandinavia,

working with such orchestras as Oslo Philharmonic, Danish

National Symphony, Royal Danish Orchestra, and Royal

Stockholm Philharmonic.

Discussing his special collaboration with the Minnesota

Orchestra musicians, Sondegard knew within minutes of their

first encounter that he wanted to work with them, finding a

rapport they instantly shared, and a willingness to explore new

paths together.

We delved into the challenges of rehearsals, the complexity of

the various musical genres, and the excitement of bringing

unknown factors into a performance. He analyzes the intricacies

of Richard Strauss’s Don Juan and Der Rosenkavalier, reflecting

on mood and drama of his favorite opera composer.

We talked about what to expect in the upcoming programs,

including works the audience hasn’t heard in a long time as he

digs deeper into French and American music. He plans to

combine a variety of classical and new music, of which he is a

proponent.

No doubt, it promises to be an exciting adventure ahead for

Minnesota music lovers!