In March 2023, Sakari Oramo, the Chief Conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra since 2012, made his debut with the Gürzenich Orchestra. The 59-year-old Finnish conductor, who has led some of the world’s most renowned orchestras, was immediately impressed by the encounter: "From the very beginning, we had an intense connection, and I was captivated by the dedication and energy with which the orchestra plays. You can also tell from the flexibility of the musicians that they are an excellent opera orchestra." The Cologne audience can look forward to the continuation of this fruitful artistic collaboration: starting with the 2025/26 season, the Gürzenich Orchestra and Sakari Oramo will enter into an Artistic Partnership for an initial period of five years. The partnership includes at least two subscription concerts per season, in which Oramo will not only conduct classics from the rich repertoire of the Gürzenich Orchestra: "I also want to introduce contemporary works from Scandinavia into our partnership, adding my own color and repertoire that otherwise doesn’t get as much attention." In the current season, he will conduct three concert programs in the Cologne Philharmonie, which he considers "one of the best concert halls in Europe," featuring works by Anders Hillborg, Jean Sibelius, and Kaija Saariaho, as well as pieces by Dvořák, Berlioz, Ravel, Schumann, and Mahler. In 2025, he will also travel to Japan with the Gürzenich Orchestra for seven concerts.