Surprising Appointment(s) at the Hong Kong Phil

Austrian businessman Bernhard Fleischer, founder and owner of Bernard Fleischer Moving Images (BFMI), is to be the next CEO of the Hong Kong Philharmonic. BFMI has recorded hundreds of international classical music and dance performances, artist profiles, and documentaries, serving as producer or coproducer since its launch in 1998.

He succeeds Benedikt Fohr, who stepped down last month after serving as chief executive for the last six years. Fohr is credited with guiding the orchestra successfully through the pandemic and hiring Tarmo Peltokoski, music director designate in the coming season and taking over in full in 2026-27. 

An article in the South China Morning Post reports that orchestra members are opposed to Fleischer's appointment.  It’s not clear that Fleischer has run an orchestra before, although he has collaborated with Peltokoski, filming a number of his concerts. The most recent, in June, was the HKPO’s performance of Wagner’s The Ring: An Orchestral Adventure, as arranged by Dutch composer Henk de Vlieger, for Deutsche Grammophon.

The concern is that Fleisher's lack of experience managing an orchestra combined with 25-year-old Peltokoski's inexperience at the artistic helm could be a disaster waiting to happen. Yet to be announced is Fleischer’s incoming deputy, Patrick Ren, current CEO of Beijing’s National Center for the Performing Arts’ Orchestra.  He will no doubt be of vital importance to Fleischer and the HKPO. 

In the Hong Kong Philharmonic's announcment, which does not mention BFMI, the orchestra cites as artists Fleischer has “worked with” the Salzburg Festival, Gustavo Dudamel, Lang Lang, John Williams, and other Big Names, as well as his firm’s awards from the Prague TV Festival and German ECHO Klassik awards.

Bernard Fleischer was an MA Top 30 Professional in 2017.