Manfred Honeck (67) will remain chief conductor of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (PSO) for another five years. As the orchestra announced on Wednesday, it extended the Austrian's contract until the 2032/33 season. Honeck will then have led the PSO for 25 years, longer than anyone else in the ensemble's 131-year history.

Manfred Honeck

"From the beginning of his tenure, Manfred Honeck inspired this orchestra, our audience and our city through his extraordinary dedication to music and his artistic passion, which has profoundly shaped our history," said Melia Tourangeau, President and CEO of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.

"I have had a very special relationship with this orchestra for almost two decades," said Honeck. "Even in my first performances, I felt a unique devotion to the music and a powerful interpretation. Our relationship is based on trust, commitment, and the shared desire to grasp the deepest meaning of the music we play."

Honeck is the ninth chief conductor of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. His predecessors include Lorin Maazel (1988-1996) and Mariss Jansons (1996-2004). The ensemble was without a music director from 2005 to 2008.

In the upcoming season, Honeck will conduct five world premieres over nine of his ten subscription weekends, including five commissions from the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. In April 2022, the PSO will perform all nine Beethoven symphonies in a single week for the first time in its 125-year history.

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