Omer Meir Wellber has been appointed as the BBC Philharmonic's new Chief Conductor as from September 2019. The 36-year-old succeeds Spanish maestro Juanjo Mena, who led the ensemble from 2011 until last August.

Rated one of the UK's finest orchestras, the BBC Philharmonic plays its main series at Bridgewater Hall in Manchester. All its concerts are recorded or broadcast live on BBC Radio 3 and are systematically available as EBU offers.

The Orchestra also performs widely throughout the north of England and gives free concerts at its own studio in Salford. In a recent speech to launch Our Classical Century, BBC Director General Tony Hall looked forward to these concerts continuing to be a byword for accessibility in classical music under this outstanding new conductor.

A rising star on the international concert scene, Omer Meir Wellber led the BBC Philharmonic two days after his appointment in a warmly praised rendition of Act I of Wagner's "Die Walküre" in Manchester. "I first worked with the BBC Philharmonic in March and knew straight away that they were exceptional musicians", Wellber was quoted as saying on the BBC Media Centre website. "I can hardly wait to start planning seasons to come."

Simon Webb, General Manager of the BBC Philharmonic, says, "Omer is an extraordinary talent, and we are thrilled to have him as our next Chief Conductor. Aside from his brilliance as a conductor, Omer has a passion for radio, for communication and for reaching new and young audiences. Whilst we at the BBC Philharmonic challenge ourselves to reimagine the Radio Orchestra for the 21st century, Omer will be a vital creative partner for us."