Bucking the trend of orchestras appointing young conductors, the Danish National Symphony Orchestra has announced the 78-year-old Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos as its next chief conductor. Frühbeck will succeed the present incumbent, Thomas Dausgaard, at the start of the 2012 season.

A frequent guest conductor, the Spaniard has signed a contract for three years and will next work with the orchestra in October when he conducts the Verdi Requiem. “I think he is a wonderful conductor with a strong and warm personality,” commented the DNSO’s general manager Ole Bækhøj. “The appointment is in many ways a logical development as it comes after a number of very successful visits to the orchestra as guest conductor. I look forward to many great concerts in our new concert hall and I am thrilled that this new collaboration opens the possibility for several international tours and recording projects.”

Frühbeck has served as music director of a number of orchestras during his long career including the Deutsche Oper Berlin, Rundfunkorchester Berlin, Bilbao Orchestra, Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra of Tokyo, Montreal SO and Vienna Symphony. He is currently the chief conductor of the RAI National Symphony Orchestra, Turin and music director of the Dresden Philharmonic.

Frühbeck commented: “I have always enjoyed the collaboration with the musicians of the Danish National Symphony Orchestra and I look forward to this opportunity to spend much more time developing our music making together.”