Seems like he just got here. In an announcement posted on the Seattle Symphony’s website this morning, music director Ludovic Morlot says he’ll step away from the post when his contract ends in 2019, after eight seasons with the orchestra. In June 2010, he was chosen to follow Gerard Schwarz’s 26 seasons at the helm.

“We are in the midst of a wonderful, stimulating and exciting artistic journey and I look forward to continuing this in the next two seasons,” shared Morlot. “However, I feel that by 2019 the time will be right for me to explore new musical horizons and for the Symphony to benefit from the inspiration of new artistic leadership.”

Though regular turnover on the podium is in general a boon for an orchestra, eight seasons is on the brief side—especially considering Morlot’s achievements: three Grammys for recordings on the orchestra’s own label; a Pulitzer for a work it commissioned, John Luther Adams’ Become Ocean, which it performed triumphantly at Carnegie Hall in 2014; and a series of innovative late-night new-music concerts.

arts@seattleweekly.com