Royal Opera House announces Jakub Hrůša as its new music director

The Czech-born conductor will take over from Antonio Pappano in 2025. He talks exclusively to the Guardian about what shape the opera house will take under his musical leadership

The Royal Opera House today announces the appointment of Jakub Hra as its music director. Hra, 41, will begin his tenure in September 2025. He succeeds Antonio Pappano, who steps down from the post at the end of the 2023-24 season after 22 years in the role - making him the Royal Opera's longest serving music director. In the 2024-25 season, Hra and Pappano will share house responsibilities, and both will appear as special guest conductors.

Hra was born in the Czech Republic and studied conducting at Prague's Academy of Performing Arts, where his teachers included Jii Blohlavek. He is currently chief conductor of the Bamberg Symphony, a position he has held since 2016, and principal guest conductor of the Czech Philharmonic and the Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia. Between 2010 and 2012 he was music director of Glyndebourne on Tour, and he has led opera productions for the Salzburg festival, Vienna State Opera, Opera National de Paris, Zurich Opera and Frankfurt Opera.