Overview

• Storgårds, NACO’s principal guest conductor since 2015, will become the orchestra’s eighth music director in September 2026 under a four-year contract.
• He succeeds Alexander Shelley, whose tenure concludes with a final performance on July 2, 2026 before he takes over the Pacific Symphony in the 2026–27 season.
• The Finnish conductor has an extensive history with NACO, including the 2019 world premiere of Ian Cusson’s Le loup de Lafontaine and first performances of works by Vaughan Williams and Nielsen.
• He will retain his current posts with the BBC Philharmonic, the Turku Philharmonic, and the Lapland Chamber Orchestra, with NAC noting he will spend limited weeks in Ottawa during his first season due to prior commitments.
• NAC leadership praised the appointment and highlighted expectations for expanded contemporary repertoire, new commissions, and support for emerging artists.