{{short description|British orchestra conductor (born 1971)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2021}} {{Infobox person | name = Karel Mark Chichon | image = KarelMarkChichon.png | birth_name = Karel Mark Chichon | birth_date = 30 April 1971 | birth_place = London, United Kingdom | occupation = Orchestra conductor | spouse = Elīna Garanča | children = Catherine Louise Chichon, Cristina Sophie Chichon | awards = Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) }}
'''Karel Mark Chichon''' {{postnominals|country=GBR|OBE|FRAM}} (born 30 April 1971) is a British orchestra conductor.
== Biography == Born in London, Chichon studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London and at the Hochschule für Musik in Vienna under Leopold Hager. Karel Mark Chichon is Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the Orquesta Filarmónica de Gran Canaria<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ofgrancanaria.com/|title=Orquesta Filarmónica de Gran Canaria|website=ofgrancanaria.com}}</ref> since May 2017, a position recently renewed until the 2026–2027 season.
Karel Mark Chichon is also Artistic Director of the Gibraltar Philharmonic Society,<ref>{{cite press release|url=http://www.philharmonic.gi/history/press-releases/16-nov-1998.php |title=The Gibraltar Philharmonic Society has been created |publisher=Gibraltar Philharmonic Society |date=16 November 1998 |accessdate=22 June 2016 |url-status=unfit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100116060429/http://www.philharmonic.gi/history/press-releases/16-nov-1998.php |archive-date=16 January 2010 }}</ref><ref>Gibraltar Philharmonic Society [https://tgpsociety.wordpress.com/about/artistic-director/ Artistic Director: Karel Mark Chichon]. Retrieved 22 June 2016.</ref>
== Career == From 2006 to 2009, Chichon was Chief Conductor of the Graz Symphony Orchestra. He was Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra between 2009 and 2012. Chichon became Chief Conductor of the Deutsche Radio Philharmonie Saarbrücken Kaiserslautern (DRP) in September 2011.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Karel Mark Chichon|url=https://www.operadeparis.fr/en/artists/karel-mark-chichon|access-date=12 August 2020|website=Opéra national de Paris|language=en}}</ref> In March 2013, his initial contract was extended until the 2016–2017 season.<ref>{{cite press release | url=http://www.swr.de/unternehmen/kommunikation/karel-mark-chichon-hat-verlaengert/-/id=10563098/did=11135764/nid=10563098/9jg98f/index.html | title=Karel Mark Chichon extends his contract as Chief Conductor of the Deutsche Radio Philharmonie until 2017 | publisher=SWR | date=13 March 2013 | accessdate=6 June 2016 }}{{Dead link|date=August 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> In March 2015, Chichon and the orchestra jointly announced that his tenure would conclude at the end of the 2016–2017 season.<ref>{{cite press release | url=http://www.swr.de/unternehmen/kommunikation/14-karel-mark-chichon-gibt-bekannt-seinen-vertrag-nach-sechs-jahren-als-chefdirigent-der-deutschen-radio-philharmonie-nicht-zu-verlaengern/-/id=10563098/did=15373116/nid=10563098/17nptu2/index.html | title=Karel Mark Chichon announces he will not extend his contract after six years as Chief Conductor of the Deutsche Radio Philharmonie | publisher=SWR | date=14 April 2015 | accessdate=6 June 2016 | archive-date=15 January 2017 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170115151502/http://www.swr.de/unternehmen/kommunikation/14-karel-mark-chichon-gibt-bekannt-seinen-vertrag-nach-sechs-jahren-als-chefdirigent-der-deutschen-radio-philharmonie-nicht-zu-verlaengern/-/id=10563098/did=15373116/nid=10563098/17nptu2/index.html | url-status=dead }}</ref>
In the United States, Chichon made his Metropolitan Opera debut in February 2016 with performances of ''Madama Butterfly'',<ref>{{Cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/22/arts/music/review-madama-butterfly-showcases-ana-maria-martinez.html | title=Review: 'Madama Butterfly' showcases Ana María Martínez | work=The New York Times | author=Zachary Woolfe | author-link=Zachary Woolfe | date=21 February 2016 | accessdate=6 June 2016}}</ref> including one cinema broadcast. In May 2017, he was appointed Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the Orquesta Filarmónica de Gran Canaria, effective from the 2017–2018 season.,<ref name=":0" /> a position that has been renewed three times until the 2026–2027 season.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=https://www.pizzicato.lu/karel-mark-chichon-renews-contract-in-gran-canaria/|title=Karel Mark Chichon renews contract in Gran Canaria|work=Pizzicato|access-date=25 May 2018|language=fr-FR}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Karel Mark Chichon renews with Orquesta Filarmónica de Gran Canaria until the 2026–2027 season |url=https://www.plateamagazine.com/noticias/16602-la-orquesta-filarmonica-de-gran-canaria-renueva-la-titularidad-de-karel-mark-chichon-hasta-la-temporada-26-27|work=Platea Magazine}}</ref>
== Discography == His commercial recordings include two albums for Deutsche Grammophon, ''Meditation''<ref>{{Cite news| url=http://www.gramophone.co.uk/review/el%C4%ABna-garan%C4%8Da-meditation | title=Elīna Garanča: Meditation | work=Gramophone | author=Adrian Edwards | date=October 2014 | accessdate=6 June 2016}}</ref> and ''Habanera'', both featuring his wife Elīna Garanča.<ref>{{Cite news| url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/opera/9568889/Elina-Garanca-We-mezzos-get-to-have-such-fun.html | title=Elina Garanca: We mezzos get to have such fun | work=Telegraph | author=Rupert Christiansen | date=26 September 2012 | accessdate=6 June 2016}}</ref> In 2014, he recorded Dvořák’s Symphony No. 1 with the DRP for the Hänssler Classic label, the first in a projected cycle of all nine Dvořák symphonies.<ref>Hodgson, Antony (July 2015). [http://classicalsource.com/db_control/db_cd_review.php?id=12997 "Review: Karel Mark Chichon conducts Dvořák’s Complete Symphonies: 1 – Symphony No.1 (The Bells of Zlonice) [Hänssler]"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170218063538/http://classicalsource.com/db_control/db_cd_review.php?id=12997 |date=18 February 2017 }}. Classical Source</ref>
Chichon was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2012 Birthday Honours for services to music and culture in Gibraltar.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=60173|supp=y|page=23|date=16 June 2012}}</ref> In March 2016, he was named a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Music.<ref>{{cite press release | url=https://www.ram.ac.uk/about-us/news/2016-honours-are-announced | title=2016 Honours are announced | publisher=Royal Academy of Music | date=4 March 2016 | accessdate=6 June 2016}}</ref>
== Personal life == Chichon and Elīna Garanča have two daughters, Catherine Louise Chichon and Cristina Sophie Chichon, who are grandchildren of Harry Chichon and Leonor Chichon.<ref>{{Cite news| url=http://www.lrt.lt/en/news_in_english/29/43852/elina_garanca_a_singer_is_like_a_sportsman | title=Elina Garanča: a singer is like a sportsman | work=Lithuanian National Radio and Television (LRT) | date=20 May 2014 | accessdate=8 June 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://karelmarkchichon.com/?page_id=358|title=Extended biography|website=Karel Mark Chichon – Conductor|language=en-US|access-date=5 July 2019}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{cite web |url=https://www.plateamagazine.com/noticias/16602-la-orquesta-filarmonica-de-gran-canaria-renueva-la-titularidad-de-karel-mark-chichon-hasta-la-temporada-26-27 |title=La Orquesta Filarmónica de Gran Canaria renueva la titularidad de Karel Mark Chichon hasta la temporada 26/27 |website=plateamagazine.com |date=2024-03-20 |access-date=2024-04-20}}
==External links==
[http://www.karelmarkchichon.com/ Official website of Karel Mark Chichon]
[http://www.askonasholt.co.uk/artists/conductors/karel-mark-chichon Askonas Holt agency page on Karel Mark Chichon] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160804184128/http://www.askonasholt.co.uk/artists/conductors/karel-mark-chichon |date=4 August 2016 }}
[http://www.drp-orchester.de/pages/orchester/chefdirigent.php Deutsche Radio Philharmonie Saarbrücken Kaiserslautern German-language page on Chichon]
{{s-start}} {{s-culture}} {{succession box | title=Music Director, Latvian National Symphony Orchestra | before=Olari Elts | years=2009–2012 | after=Andris Poga}} {{succession box | title=Chief Conductor, Deutsche Radio Philharmonie Saarbrücken Kaiserslautern | before=Christoph Poppen | years=2011–2017 | after=Pietari Inkinen}} {{succession box | title=Chief Conductor, Orquesta Filarmónica de Gran Canaria | before=Pedro Halffter | years=2017–present | after=incumbent}} {{s-end}}
{{Gibraltar topics}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chichon, Karel Mark}} Category:1971 births Category:Living people Category:Gibraltarian conductors (music) Category:Alumni of the Royal Academy of Music Category:Officers of the Order of the British Empire Category:21st-century British conductors (music)