Artists

• Stéphane Denève

  Conductor

  Stéphane Denève is music director of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, artistic director of the New World Symphony, and principal guest conductor of the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra. He recently concluded tenures as principal guest conductor of The Philadelphia Orchestra and music director of the Brussels Philharmonic, having previously served as chief conductor of Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra (SWR) and music director of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. Recognized internationally for the exceptional quality of his performances and programming, he regularly appears at major concert venues with the world’s greatest orchestras and soloists. He has a special affinity for the music of his native France, and is a passionate advocate for music of the 21st century.

  In North America, Denève made his Carnegie Hall debut with the Boston Symphony Orchestra — with which he has appeared several times both in Boston and at Tanglewood — and he regularly conducts ensembles including the New York Philharmonic, The Philadelphia Orchestra, The Cleveland Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, and National Symphony Orchestra (of Washington, DC). He is also a popular guest at numerous US summer music festivals, including the Hollywood Bowl, Music Academy of the West, and the Bravo! Vail, Blossom, Grand Teton, and Sun Valley music festivals.

  Denève’s recent and upcoming international engagements include appearances in Europe with Amsterdam’s Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Orchestra sinfonica dell’accademia nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre national de France, Orchestre philharmonique de Radio France, Vienna Symphony, Czech Philharmonic, DSO Berlin, NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra, WDR Cologne, Rotterdam Philharmonic, Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Iceland Symphony Orchestra, and Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, with which he was invited to conduct the 2020 Nobel Prize concert. In Asia he has conducted the NHK Symphony Orchestra, Hong Kong Philharmonic, and Seoul Philharmonic.

  A gifted communicator and educator, Stéphane Denève is committed to inspiring the next generation of musicians and listeners. In addition to his position with the New World Symphony and his longstanding relationship with the Colburn School, he has worked regularly with young people in programs including those of the Tanglewood Music Center, European Union Youth Orchestra, and Music Academy of the West.

  Learn more about Stéphane Denève

• Víkingur Ólafsson 

  Piano

  Icelandic pianist Víkingur Ólafsson has made a profound impact with his remarkable combination of highest-level musicianship and visionary programming. His recordings for Deutsche Grammophon — Philip Glass Piano Works (2017), Johann Sebastian Bach (2018), Debussy Rameau (2020), and Mozart & Contemporaries (2021) — have captured the public and critical imagination and led to career streams of more than 400 million. From Afar, his most recent album, was released in October 2022. One of today’s most sought-after artists, Ólafsson has received multiple honors, including the Rolf Schock Prize in Musical Arts (2022), Opus Klassik Awards for Solo Recording / Instrumental (twice, in 2019 and 2020), Album of the Year at the BBC Music Magazine Awards (2018), and being named Gramophone magazine Artist of the Year (2019). Ólafsson continues to perform as artist-in-residence at the world’s top orchestras, concert halls, and festivals, and works with today’s greatest composers. In the 2022–23 season, in addition to making his New York Philharmonic debut he performs with ensembles including London’s Philharmonia Orchestra, Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw Orchestra, Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, Berlin Philharmonic, The Cleveland Orchestra, the London and Bergen Philharmonic Orchestras, and the Toronto and Montreal Symphony Orchestras. A captivating communicator both on and offstage, Víkingur Ólafsson’s significant talent extends to broadcast, having presented several of his own series for television and radio. He was artist-in-residence for three months on BBC Radio 4’s flagship arts program Front Row. His live broadcasts during lockdown, from an empty Harpa concert hall in Reykjavík, reached millions of listeners around the world.

  
  Learn more about Víkingur Ólafsson