Holly Hyun Choe Appointed Music Director of Cannes National Orchestra for 2026/2027 Season

Holly Hyun Choe will open the 2026/2027 concert season as the new music director of the Orchestre national de Cannes, conducting a program of works by Joseph Haydn, Ludwig van Beethoven, and Ethel Smyth at the Théâtre Debussy du Palais des Festivals, classiquefrance.com reported.

Holly Hyun Choe Takes the Podium in Cannes

Born in South Korea and raised in Los Angeles, Choe joins the French orchestra for an initial four-season mandate announced in October 2025, according to classiquefrance.com. Musicians voted unanimously to invite her back following her debut appearance with the ensemble in June 2024.

Classiquefrance.com reported that Choe’s recent appointments include serving as principal conductor of the Norwegian Radio Orchestra (KORK) starting in January 2026, artistic associate of the Geneva Chamber Orchestra since 2023, and principal conductor of Ensemble Reflektor from 2022 to 2025. She also received the Sir Georg Solti Conducting Award in 2025 and worked as an assistant conductor under Paavo Järvi at the Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich.

The Opening Night Program and Beethoven Cycle

The October 25 inaugural concert pairs Haydn’s Symphony No. 37 in C major and Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor with Ethel Smyth’s Serenade in D major, as detailed by classiquefrance.com. Pianist Anna Geniushene, silver medalist at the 2022 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, joins the orchestra as soloist for the Beethoven concerto.

Cannes.com reported that Choe’s inaugural season coincides with the bicentenary of Beethoven’s death. The orchestra has scheduled a Beethoven Cycle for the 2026/2027 season, featuring all five piano concertos and the Triple Concerto performed by emerging soloists, alongside Antje Weithaas performing the Violin Concerto.

Auditorium Des Arlucs Hosts Science and Cinema Concerts

Cannes.com outlined several additional events planned across the season, including a science-themed concert exploring connections to Einstein with violinist Geneviève Laurenceau and physicist Étienne Klein at the Auditorium des Arlucs. The venue will also host a Haydn Cello Concerto performance featuring solo cellist Jeremy Genet.

Other scheduled programs noted by cannes.com comprise a Chaplin silent film cine-concert featuring The Circus during the winter holidays, a Murnau cine-concert presenting The Last Laugh with an original score, and a Valentine’s Day appearance by conductor Jane Latron.