Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla

Although Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla (born in Vilnius, Lithuania, in 1986) had already been an assistant conductor at the Los Angeles Philharmonic, her appointment in 2016 as the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra’s music director drew international attention. An exclusive long-term recording contract with Deutsche Grammophon followed—the first of its type offered to a female conductor by the prestigious German label—and her debut album of symphonies by the Polish composer Mieczysław Weinberg drew widespread critical plaudits. Gražinytė-Tyla’s elegant yet dynamic style of conducting and her innovative programming quickly endeared her to Birmingham audiences, and she led the CBSO on a string of international tours, including concerts at Vienna’s Musikverein and the Lucerne Festival. Her career also expanded in America, and in 2018 she made an important debut at Carnegie Hall with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. Citing personal reasons relating to work-life balance—she is married with two young children—Gražinytė-Tyla announced she would be stepping down as the CBSO’s music director after the 2021-22 season. News of her departure initially shocked the CBSO’s audiences, although she intends to continue her highly fruitful relationship with the orchestra as principal guest conductor.