Daniel Raiskin – Designated Chief Conductor and Artistic Director

Daniel Raiskin is one of the most respected and versatile conductors of his generation. Known for his distinctive artistic style, he has built an impressively diverse repertoire through his remarkably conceived programs, often reaching beyond the mainstream.

He has collaborated with the Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava regularly in the past and knows the orchestra well. He is also an avid admirer of Leoš Janáček’s music, which he says he loves and frequently includes in his repertoire. Raiskin is also closely following the construction of the new concert hall in Ostrava, into which the orchestra will move during his tenure. His appointment was announced in May 2024, and while he will officially take up the post in the 2026/2027 season, he is already actively serving as the designated Chief Conductor and Artistic Director. He works closely with the orchestra and its leadership, playing a key role in repertoire planning and concert programming—both for the current temporary venue at Vesmír and for the future concert hall. He also participated in the selection of his assistant conductor and is deeply involved in concert and recording projects.

Over the past 25 years, Daniel Raiskin has conducted dozens of orchestras around the world. Yet he considers the Ostrava ensemble truly exceptional:“All great orchestras around the world sound fantastic, but I’d say most of them sound somewhat alike. The Janáček Philharmonic is one of the rare orchestras that has preserved its own sound, its distinctive color. I believe it’s because the players perform a great deal of Czech music and are deeply rooted in Czech culture. The Janáček Philharmonic is truly unique—it has a soul and a character of its own!”

Daniel Raiskin is currently also Chief Conductor of the Slovak Philharmonic and Music Director of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra in Canada. He grew up and studied in St. Petersburg, but left Russia more than 35 years ago. He later continued his education in Amsterdam and Freiburg. Before taking up the baton, Raiskin was a highly regarded violist, performing internationally both as a soloist and chamber musician. He has lived in the Netherlands and Germany and now resides near Amsterdam—close to forests, dunes, and the sea. He and his Ukrainian wife have two grown children currently studying at universities in New York and Amsterdam. Besides music, Raiskin is passionate about books, cooking, fine wine, and ice hockey.

His predecessors as Chief Conductor of the orchestra include Vassily Sinaisky, Heiko Mathias Förster, Theodore Kuchar, Petr Vronský, Christian Arming, Dennis Burkh, Leoš Svárovský, Tomáš Koutník, Otakar Trhlík, Václav Jiráček, Josef Daniel, and Jiří Waldhans. The very first Chief Conductor of what was then the Ostrava Symphony Orchestra was Otakar Pařík, appointed in 1954.