Sascha Goetzel

Vienna-born conductor Sascha Goetzel is Music Director of the Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire and, from 2025, Artistic and Music Director of the Ulsan Philharmonic Orchestra. He previously led the Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra (2008–2020) and the Kuopio Symphony Orchestra (2007–2013), and serves as Principal Guest Conductor of the Kraków Philharmonic and the Banatul Philharmonic Timișoara.

His regular international engagements include orchestras such as the NHK Symphony Orchestra, Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, Tonkünstler Orchestra, Stuttgart Philharmoniker, Prague Symphony Orchestra, Slovak Philharmonic, and the Belgrade Philharmonic, alongside appearances at the Salzburg Festival, the BBC Proms, and La Folle Journée. His performances are recognized for their finely shaped orchestral sound and emotional directness, lending depth and urgency to the repertoire.

His award-winning recordings for Deutsche Grammophon, Warner Classics, Onyx, Naïve, and BIS have received international acclaim, including a 2026 nomination for Best Orchestral Recording from BBC Music Magazine.

Founder of the Orpheus Foundation, co-founder of Opera by the Fjord in collaboration with Bergen National Opera, and Artistic Director of Music for Peace (El Sistema Turkey), Goetzel advances a vision of the orchestra as an active cultural force — artistically uncompromising, socially engaged, and open to innovation.