Karina Canellakis is an American conductor and violinist, born on 23 August 1981 in New York City into a family of musicians. She trained as a violinist at the Curtis Institute of Music before winning the Sir Georg Solti Conducting Award in 2016, which launched her international conducting career. Since 2019 she has been chief conductor of the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra (Radio Filharmonisch Orkest) - the first woman to lead any Dutch orchestra - and since 2021 principal guest conductor of the London Philharmonic Orchestra.
The London Philharmonic Orchestra extended Canellakis' contract as principal guest conductor through the 2029-2030 season.
Canellakis conducted Britten's Peter Grimes in concert performance with the RFO at the Concertgebouw, with Allan Clayton in the title role.
Canellakis led the London Philharmonic Orchestra on a European tour through seven cities, together with violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter.
The RFO announced that Canellakis extended her contract as chief conductor until August 2031; at the same time her second Pentatone album, Bartók's Bluebeard's Castle, was released, which received international critical acclaim.
Canellakis concluded her multi-year Janáček cycle with the RFO by conducting From the House of the Dead at the Concertgebouw.
Violinist Christian Tetzlaff performs Dvořák's violin concerto under the baton of conductor Karina Canellakis at Het Concertgebouw.
Watch a symphony orchestra at work during a public rehearsal of the Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, featuring Nielsen, Moussa and Brahms under conductor Karina Canellakis.
