Born in Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany, [2] Afkham began violin and piano studies at age 6. At age 15, he studied at the Hochschule für Musik Freiburg, where he was a piano student of James Avery. [3] In 2002, he won the Jugend Musiziert competition. [4] In 2007, he finished his conducting studies with Nicolás Pasquet at the Hochschule für Musik "Franz Liszt" in Weimar. [5] [6] One of his siblings is Micha Afkham, a violist with the Berlin Philharmonic. [1]
In 2008, Afkham won the first prize of the Donatella Flick Conducting Competition, [7] and subsequently became assistant conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra. [8] [9] From 2009 to 2012, he was assistant conductor of the Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra. [10]
In 2014, Afkham became principal conductor of the Orquesta Nacional de España (ONE). [11] In February 2019, the ONE announced the elevation of Afkham's title with the orchestra to chief conductor and artistic director of the Orquesta y Coro Nacional de España (OCNE), effective with the 2019–2020 season. [12] In January 2023, the OCNE announced the extension of Afkham's contract through September 2026. [13] Afkham is scheduled to stand down as chief conductor of the OCNE at the close of the 2025–2026 season. [14]
Afkham has commercially recorded for such labels as Berlin Classics. [15]
Media related to David Afkham at Wikimedia Commons
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