Conductor Theodor Currentzis has announced that he will step down as principal conductor of the prominent German orchestra in 2025, since the war began in Ukraine over his ties to Russia’s state-owned bank.
Currentzis, who has led the SWR Symphony Orchestra in Stuttgart since 2018, will step down when his contract expires at the end of the 2024-25 season. SaidInstead, François-Xavier Roth, who leads the Gürzenich Orchestra in Cologne, Germany, will take office.
The SWR Symphony Orchestra has been under pressure in recent months to cut ties with Currentzis due to its affiliation with VTB Bank, a Russian state-owned institution licensed by the United States and other countries. VTB is the main sponsor of Currentzis’ longtime ensemble, MusicAeterna.
SWR said in a statement to the New York Times that Currentzis’ resignation was decided last year and had nothing to do with concerns over its relationship with Russia.
“Today’s announcement has nothing to do with MusicAeterna’s funding discussion,” said SWR spokesperson Matthias Claudi. He added that the orchestra hopes to continue working with Currentzis after he resigns.
A Currentzis representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Currentzis, 50, is one of classical music’s most celebrated conductors. Since the war began, his career has been complicated by questions about Russian support, with some presenters canceling or postponing engagements.・It has been criticized for cooperating with President V. Putin’s associates. In 2014, Putin granted citizenship to the Greek-born Currentzis by executive decree.
Currentzis announced in August that he would form a new international ensemble called Utopia with the support of donors outside of Russia to settle questions about Russian backers. Backers include a private foundation called Kunst und Kultur DM, which is affiliated with Austrian businessman Dietrich Mateschitz, founder of Red Bull. Utopia will tour Europe starting next month and will continue until next year.
Currentzis has continued to perform at MusicAeterna, which he founded in Siberia in 2004, often in front of sold-out crowds.