Bo S‹derstr‹m, president of the orchestra, said in a statement, "With relentless energy and painstakingly detailed work, Manfred Honeck has improved our orchestral sound and above all contributed his own sense of Viennese style and musicianship."
Honeck, who began his career as a string player in the Vienna Philharmonic, first conducted the Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra, as an assistant to Claudio Abbado. He has since performed with Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Bavarian Radio Symphony, the London Philharmonic, Royal Concertgebouw Amsterdam, the Czech Philharmonic, and the Chicago Symphony.
According to the orchestra, Honeck plans to take on more opera engagements after his departure.