Challenge accepted!

«If the next chapter of the Luxembourg Philharmonic’s history had a title, that’s what it would be», says Haoxing Liang, one of the orchestra’s two concertmasters, with a sparkle in his eye. Challenge accepted! This motto sounds much like a rallying cry, as the musicians prepare for a 2025/26 season without a Music Director. While young Martin Rajna is due to take over from Gustavo Gimeno – leaving in the summer of 2025 after a transformative decade with the orchestra – he isn’t expected until October 2026.

Such a prospect is unprecedented: in his 25-year career in Luxembourg, Mr Liang has never faced it. Does this mean trouble? Not at all. «We’re actually looking forward to it. We’re curious to see what’s in store for us», he explains. To which his colleague Seohee Min adds: «It’s an exciting chapter which will provide the orchestra with an opportunity to grow more independent and to develop our own voice».

For ten intense years, Gustavo Gimeno carefully crafted this voice, so no wonder the maestro’s presence can still be felt in many aspects of the 2025/26 programme. The great symphonists he cherished will be in the spotlight, especially Gustav Mahler, set to headline three concerts, as well as Anton Bruckner and Dmitri Shostakovich. In keeping with the Gimeno «brand», the orchestra will also continue to explore contemporary music, with Vijay Iyer among others.

Repertoire aside, the real adventure of this 2025/26 season will be «reacting and adapting to a new conductor every week», says Seohee Min. Sir John Eliot Gardiner, Renaud Capuçon, Leopold Hager, Paavo Järvi, but also Daniele Rustioni, Robin Ticciati and of course Martin Rajna, who will check in with his future «team» in March: the orchestra is due to encounter both familiar and new faces.

What lies ahead will certainly be a great artistic adventure, but also a human one, for the absence of a «captain» means that the musicians will need to come together as a community. As Haoxing Liang puts it eloquently: «More than ever, we are responsible for each other». Responsible, close-knit, supportive… and definitely never alone! How could they be, given that, with or without a music director, they know they can count on each other and, of course, on their loyal audience.