David Afkham

Known for his impeccable technique and compelling artistry, David Afkham has received worldwide acclaim and is one of the most sought-after conductors of his generation. Afkham is the chief conductor and artistic director of the Orquesta y Coro Nacionales de España, a position he has held since September 2019. Prior to this role, Afkham enjoyed a highly successful tenure as the orchestra's principal conductor since 2014.

Afkham’s impressive career has been marked by a series of critically acclaimed performances and collaborations with some of the world's leading orchestras. He has appeared with the Concertgebouworkest, London Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Münchner Philharmoniker, Staatskapelle Berlin, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, hr-Sinfonieorchester Frankfurt, SWR Symphonieorchester, Wiener Symphoniker, Orchestre National de France, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, Swedish Radio Symphony, Oslo Philharmonic, Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, as well as with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Staatskapelle Dresden, Die Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen and Mahler Chamber Orchestra.

With regular appearances in North America, Afkham has led the Cleveland Orchestra, Boston Symphony Orchestra in Tanglewood, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, The Philadelphia Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra in New York.

Recent successes at the opera pit include performances of Beethoven’s Fidelio and Richard Strauss' Arabella at the Semperoper Dresden, as well as a new production of the work at the Teatro Real, Madrid. Afkham has also conducted productions of Engelbert Humperdinck's Hänsel and Gretel at the Oper Frankfurt, Richard Wagner's Der fliegende Holländer at the Staatsoper Stuttgart, and Alberto Ginastera's Bomarzo at Madrid's Teatro Real. He also conducted Giuseppe Verdi's La Traviata at the Glyndebourne Festival Opera, later reviving the production for performances in the U.K. and Ireland for Glyndebourne on Tour. Furthermore, he has conducted semi-staged projects with the Orquesta y Coro Nacionales de España, including Wagner's Der fliegende Holländer, Tristan und Isolde, Strauss' Elektra and Salome and Bartók's Bluebeard's Castle.

Highlights of the 2025-26 season for David Afkham include his return to the NHK Symphony Orchestra for a tour of Japan, as well as debut appearances with the San Francisco Symphony and the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra. He will also make his debut at the Deutsche Oper Berlin with a production of Elektra, and at Seattle Opera, where he will lead concert performances of Strauss’ Daphne. Other engagements include return appearances with the Minnesota Orchestra and the Grafenegg Festival with the Tonkünstler-Orchester. Additionally, Afkham will tour Germany and Austria with the Orquesta y Coro Nacionales de España and cellist Pablo Ferrández. His symphonic projects with the orchestra this season span a wide repertoire, featuring works such as Berg’s Wozzeck, Honegger’s Symphonie Liturgique, Mahler’s Symphony No. 9, and Britten’s War Requiem.

Born in Freiburg, Germany, Afkham began piano and violin lessons at an early age. He went on to study piano, music theory and conducting at the Hochschule für Musik Freiburg, before continuing his studies at the Hochschule für Musik Franz Liszt Weimar. Afkham was the first recipient of the Bernard Haitink Fund for Young Talent and has assisted Maestro Haitink on several major projects, including complete symphonic cycles with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Concertgebouworkest and London Symphony Orchestra. From 2009-2012, he was assistant conductor of the Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester.

Afkham won first prize at the Donatella Flick Conducting Competition in London in 2008 and was the inaugural recipient of the Nestlé and Salzburg Festival Young Conductors Award in 2010.