Thierry Fischer

Thierry Fischer switched from flute to conducting in his thirties, quickly developing a new career. He has been active not only in Europe but in the Americas, serving as music director of the Utah Symphony for many years. Fischer was born on September 28, 1957, in the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, in an area that is now part of Zambia. His parents were Swiss missionaries, and he remembers a childhood there, in a small village without electricity or running water. Fischer's family returned to Switzerland and, although they were not musical, signed him up for recorder lessons, which he took to immediately. He switched to the flute at 16 and set the goal of becoming an orchestral flutist. He studied the flute with Aurèle Nicolet and played the flute in the orchestra of the Zurich Opera and with an orchestra in Hamburg, Germany. Fischer became the principal flute with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe under conductor Claudio Abbado. It was there that he made his debut as a conductor. In 1988, he made his recording debut, leading the Orchestre de chamber de Genève on an album of Mozart serenades for the Dinemec label. From 1997 to 2001, he was the chief conductor of the Netherlands Ballet Orchestra, then moved to the Ulster Orchestra in Belfast, Northern Ireland. He remained there until 2006, moving on from 2006 until 2012 to the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. In 2009, Fischer became the music director of the Utah Symphony. He was also chief conductor of the Nagoya Philharmonic in Japan from 2008 to 2011, staying on as honorary guest conductor. Fischer's contract in Utah was extended several times, and his departure, originally scheduled for 2022, was postponed for a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. After guest appearances, Fischer became the music director of the Orquestra Sinfônica do Estado de São Paulo in 2020. His contract there has been extended through 2027. Fischer also served as principal guest conductor of the Seoul Philharmonic in South Korea from 2017 to 2020. He has recorded for Hyperion, Orfeo, and Reference Recordings, among other labels, leading a variety of repertories centered on the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with several albums devoted to composer Frank Martin. In 2023, Fischer's recording of Messiaen's Des canyons aux étoiles with the Utah Symphony appeared on Hyperion. By that time, his recording catalog comprised more than 30 items. ~ James Manheim, Rovi