Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal & Kent Nagano
Biography Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal & Kent Nagano
The Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal
was founded in 1934. It has produced nearly a hundred records for different international labels earning numerous international awards, inluding two Grammys. Former artistic directors included personalities such as Igor Markevitch, Zubin Mehta, Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos and Charles Dutoit. Kent Nagano whose tenure as artistic director began in 2006 has led the orchestra to the United States (including its Carnegie Hall debut in March 2008) to Japan, South Korea and to Europe. Their first joint CD "Ideals of the French Revolution" was released in 2008.
Kent Nagano
was born in California and started his career in 1978 as conductor of the Berkeley Symphony where he became a champion of the music of Olivier Messiaen and initiated a correspondence with him. Nagano's early professional years were spent in Boston, working in the opera house and as assistant conductor to Seiji Ozawa at the Boston Symphony Orchestra. He played a key role in the world premiere of Messiaen's opera "Saint François d'Assise" at the request of the composer. In 1982 Nagano conducted the London Symphony Orchestra in the premieres of several orchestral compositions by Frank Zappa.
Nagano was music director of the Opéra de Lyon from 1988 to 1998 and served as principal conductor of the Hallé Orchestra in Manchester from 1992 to 1999. While principal conductor and artistic director of the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin (2000-2006) he recorded works by Beethoven, Schoenberg, Bruckner, Alexander von Zemlinsky, and Gustav Mahler. Kent Nagano was appointed principal conductor at Los Angeles Opera starting from the 2001-2002 season. In May 2003, he was named the LA Opera's first ever Music Director, retaining the position until 2006. Nagano has been a regular guest at the Salzburg Festival, where he premièred Kaija Saariaho's “L'Amour de loin” in 2000. He also conducted the world première of John Adams' “The Death of Klinghoffer” in Brussels.
In 2006 he took his posts as music director of the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal and of the Bavarian State Opera. Nagano's repertoire in Montréal in the 2009/10 season includes a complete cycle of Beethoven's symphonies; while in Munich he conducts new productions of "Don Giovanni", "Dialogues des Carmélites" and "Die schweigsame Frau". www.kentnagano.com
