The Minnesota Orchestra announced Thursday that violinist and conductor Leonidas Kavakos has been appointed the orchestra’s principal guest conductor. “We are very happy to welcome Leonidas Kavakos into this new role,” Music Director Thomas Søndergård says. “He is an artist of great integrity and creativity who will bring conviction, passion and interesting projects to our Orchestra and audiences.”
Kavakos will begin his three-year appointment in 2027. Each season will feature Kavakos in three weeks of subscription concerts, including conducting the Minnesota Orchestra at least twice a season, plus additional appearances as a soloist or chamber musician.
Kavakos, who was born and raised in a musical family in Athens, Greece, has enjoyed a longtime connection to the Minnesota Orchestra, having made his debut with the orchestra in 1995. More recently, Kavakos performed as a soloist and conductor with the Minnesota Orchestra on October 10 and 11, 2025. During the concerts, Kavakos was the soloist on Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 3.
“I am thrilled to be joining the Minnesota Orchestra as its principal guest conductor,” Kavakos says. “As a young music student still forming a musical identity, I was deeply inspired by the Minnesota Orchestra’s recordings with the legendary Dimitri Mitropoulos. The Orchestra produces a sound of rare warmth and flexibility, an element that has impressed me since my debut as a soloist in the 1990s.
“As principal guest conductor,” Kavakos continues, “I am tremendously looking forward to working more in depth with this fantastic orchestra and creating powerful musical experiences for the city of Minneapolis.”
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