Michele Mariotti has been named the new Principal Conductor of the RAI National Symphony Orchestra (Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della Rai). His appointment marks a historic first: he is the first Italian conductor to hold the top position with the ensemble since its founding in 1994, following Eliahu Inbal, Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, Juraj Valčuha, James Conlon, and Andrés Orozco-Estrada. His three-year contract begins in October 2026, succeeding Orozco-Estrada, who led the orchestra from 2023 to 2026.
Mariotti’s relationship with the orchestra stretches back to 7 January 2011, when he made his debut in Reggio Emilia at a concert in the presence of then-President Giorgio Napolitano, inaugurating the celebrations for the 150th anniversary of Italian Unification. Since then he has returned regularly as a guest conductor, leading the ensemble on numerous occasions including at the Festival Verdi in Parma, the Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro, most recently with Ermione in 2024, which received the Premio Abbiati as best production of the year, and at MITO Settembre Musica.