Alumnus Kahchun Wong Chief Conductor of Japan Philharmonic Orchestra and Hallé Orchestra
The conductor and Eisler alumnus Kahchun Wong will take up his position as Principal Conductor of the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra for the 2023/24 season. He is currently Principal Guest Conductor of the orchestra. In addition, the renowned Hallé Orchestra in Manchester, one of the oldest orchestras in the UK, has chosen him as its Principal Conductor from the 2024/25 season, succeeding Sir Mark Elder.
Since winning the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra's Gustav Mahler Conducting Competition in 2016, Singapore-born Eisler graduate Kahchun Wong has enjoyed international success with major conducting engagements. Kahchun Wong, born in 1986, studied with Prof. Christian Ehwald and Prof. Hans-Dieter Baum. In 2014, he completed his Master's degree at Hanns Eisler and conducted the Konzerthausorchester Berlin at the graduation concert. From 2018 to 2022 he was principal conductor of the Nuremberg Symphony Orchestra. In 2019, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier awarded him the Cross of Merit on Ribbon for his outstanding commitment to Singapore-German cultural relations and the promotion of German musical culture abroad.
Wong has been acclaimed by the press for his recent debuts with the New York Philharmonic, the Czech Philharmonic and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic. He has also performed successfully with the Cleveland Orchestra, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Bamberg Symphony Orchestra, Konzerthausorchester Berlin, Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse, Orchestre national d'Île-de-France, Luxembourg Philharmonic, Valencia Orchestra, China Philharmonic, Shanghai Symphony, Guangzhou Symphony, New Japan Philharmonic, Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra and Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra.