The San Francisco based Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra & Chorale (PBO) announced that Richard Egarr, 55, has signed a five-year contract to be the next Music Director of the ensemble. Egarr will be the second Music Director in PBO’s nearly 40-year history; he succeeds Nicholas McGegan, who will have held the position for 35 years at the end of the 2019/20 season.
Egarr will join PBO at the start of the 2020/21 season, at which time his title will be Music Director Designate, due to his continuing work as Music Director of the Academy of Ancient Music. He will assume the title of Music Director beginning in the 2021/22 season.
Egarr has served as Music Director of the Academy of Ancient Music since 2006, succeeding founding director Christopher Hogwood. In addition to the Music Director position at PBO, Egarr was also recently named Artistic Partner of The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra and Principal Guest Conductor of the Residentie Orkest The Hague.