From cloakroom to conductor: Dendievel takes the lead at Flanders Symphony Orchestra

Martijn Dendievel has been appointed the new chief conductor of Flanders Symphony Orchestra (Symfonieorkest Vlaanderen). The 30-year-old from Ostend began his career not on stage, but working in the cloakroom at the Concertgebouw Brugge, where he followed concerts up close.

He later joined Flanders Symphony Orchestra as an assistant conductor, progressed to associate conductor, and has now risen to chief conductor. The orchestra says such an internal promotion is rare in the international classical music world.

Dendievel has also built a strong international profile. After winning the Deutscher Dirigentenpreis in 2021, he was invited to conduct orchestras including the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the Tonkünstler-Orchester Wien and the Copenhagen Philharmonic. Since last season, he has also been chief conductor of the Hofer Symphoniker in Germany.

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Artistically, Dendievel plans to build on the orchestra’s recent Beethoven cycle. Future programmes will focus on Felix Mendelssohn and later Robert Schumann, alongside music by Flemish and contemporary composers.

His first concert as chief conductor will take place on 17 January 2026.

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