Starting in January 2026, Martijn will assume his position at the Ghent-based orchestra. He has been Associate Conductor since 2022, after serving four years as assistant conductor to Jan Latham-Koenig and Kristiina Poska.
“Symfonieorkest Vlaanderen is so important to me in so many ways,” notes Martijn. “It is a great honour that the orchestra’s players have put their trust in me. I have experienced their tremendous energy and spirit since I was a child. We will build on the work of my predecessors and cultivate the beautiful transparent sound that makes them so unique. At the same time the orchestra is in a transition period, looking to anchor themselves strongly locally and grow internationally. There are so many things we can do to make people feel involved in the concert experience without losing the best traditions of the symphony orchestra.”

Jos Roeden, General Director of Symfonieorkest Vlaanderen, sees Martijn Dendievel’s appointment as the ideal outcome of the orchestra’s talent development policy. “Not yet in his thirties, Martijn brings a wealth of experience back to the orchestra that, from the start of his career, gave him every opportunity to develop,” he comments. “He knows the orchestra like no other and has a clear vision of what is needed for its musicians to grow.”

Next season, he will return to the orchestra for a concert with music by Suk, Ravel, Humperdinck and Ives.