Stéphane Denève is Chief Conductor of the Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra (SWR), Principal Guest Conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra, and Chief Conductor of the Brussels Philharmonic and Director of its Centre for Future Orchestral Repertoire (CffOR) from September 2015 onwards. From 2005 to 2012 he was Music Director of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra (RSNO).

The Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra (SWR), founded in 1945, is one of the most important musical ambassadors of Germany. The RSO performs around 80 concerts per season in the SWR broadcasting area, in addition to national and international guest performances and performances at world-wide music festivals. The Stuttgart RSO orients itself, on one hand, towards the large classical and romantic repertoire that is represented by exemplary performances, and, on the other hand, towards contemporary music and rare musical works, including little known composers.