The Boston Symphony Orchestra announced that music director Andris Nelsons will leave his position at the end of the 2026-27 season. The board cited a lack of alignment on long-term vision as the reason for not renewing his contract. Nelsons expressed surprise at the decision but pledged to continue high-level performances with the ensemble.
The Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO) revealed on March 7, 2026, that Andris Nelsons will step down as music director after the 2026-27 season, concluding a 13-year tenure. The orchestra's board of trustees and CEO Chad Smith stated in an official release: “The decision to not renew his contract was made by the BSO’s board of trustees because, beyond our shared desire to ensure our orchestra continues to perform at the highest levels, the BSO and Andris Nelsons were not aligned on future vision.”
Nelsons, a 47-year-old five-time Grammy winner, responded in a letter to BSO musicians and staff, shared via his management: “While this is not the decision I anticipated or wanted, I am unwaveringly committed to you and to our work together.” He added, “I understand the decision was not related to artistic standards, performances, or achievements during my tenure, and, therefore, my focus is straightforward: to protect the music, support the orchestra’s stability, and continue to perform with the musicians of the BSO at the highest artistic level.” At the time of the announcement, Nelsons was conducting the Vienna Philharmonic on a U.S. tour, including a performance in Naples, Florida, that evening.
Nelsons first appeared with the BSO in March 2011 at New York's Carnegie Hall, substituting for James Levine, who had health issues leading to his departure as music director at the end of the 2010-11 season. He was formally appointed music director in May 2013 with a five-year contract beginning in the 2014-15 season. Subsequent extensions came in 2015 and 2020, followed by an evergreen rolling contract announced in January 2024. That year, he also received the title of head of conducting at Tanglewood, the BSO's summer home. The most recent extension occurred shortly after Chad Smith, previously with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, became the BSO's chief executive.
Beyond Boston, Nelsons served as music director of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra from 2008 to 2009 and has been chief conductor of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra since the 2017-18 season. Personally, he married soprano Kristine Opolais in 2011 and they divorced in 2018.
This departure leaves the BSO with the third leadership vacancy among major U.S. orchestras. Gustavo Dudamel is exiting the Los Angeles Philharmonic this summer after 17 seasons to lead the New York Philharmonic, while Franz Welser-Möst will leave the Cleveland Orchestra at the end of the 2026-27 season following 25 years. Meanwhile, Klaus Mäkelä will assume the role at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in 2027-28, alongside starting as chief conductor of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in the Netherlands.
