After years of speculation, L’Orchestre symphonique (OSM) has announced the successor to Kent Nagano’s tenure.
The OSM has appointed conductor Rafael Payare as its next musical director, starting in 2022 for a five-year term.
Payare will act as Music Director-designate effective September 1, succeeding Kent Nagano, who served as Music Director from 2006 to 2020.
Originally from Venezuela, Payare will be the first South American to hold this position, and the ninth OSM musical director in its history.
Horn player by training, Rafael Payare got his start in music from the renowned El Sistema music education program with conductor José Antonio Abreu in 2004. Having also served as Principal Horn of the Simon Bolivar Orchestra, he took part in many prestigious tours and recordings with renowned conductors, including Giuseppe Sinopoli, Claudio Abbado, Sir Simon Rattle and Lorin Maazel.
In 2012, Payare won the prestigious Malko International Competition for Young Conductors in Denmark, which launched Payare’s conducting career internationally. Since 2015, Payare has served as Principal Guest Conductor of the Castleton Festival, founded by his mentor, the late Lorin Maazel. Payare was named Music Director of the Ulster Orchestra in 2014 and, in 2019, named Music Director of the San Diego Symphony.
As an opera conductor, he debuted at Glyndebourne Festival in 2019 conducting Rossini’s Il barbiere di Siviglia. This season he is tentatively scheduled to make his debut at the Staatsoper Berlin conducting La Boheme.
Rafael Payare made his debut with the OSM as a guest conductor in 2018. He is 40 years old.
+++
Read our exclusive interview with Rafael Payare on Ludwig van Montréal.
#LUDWIGVAN
Get the daily arts news straight to your inbox.
Sign up for the Ludwig van Daily — classical music and opera in five minutes or less HERE.
- THE SCOOP | Royal Conservatory’s Dr. Peter Simon Awarded The Order Of Ontario - January 2, 2024
- THE SCOOP | Order of Canada Appointees Announced, Including Big Names From The Arts - December 29, 2023
- Ludwig Van Is Being Acquired By ZoomerMedia - June 12, 2023
