The Lowy Chair of Chief Conductor and Artistic Director
American conductor David Robertson made his Australian debut with the
Sydney Symphony Orchestra in 2003 and soon became a regular visitor to
the orchestra, with projects such as The Colour of Time, a conceptual
multimedia concert; the Australian premiere of John Adams' Doctor Atomic
Symphony; and concert performances of The Flying Dutchman with video
projections. He began his five-year tenure as Chief Conductor of the SSO
in 2014, and highlights of his inaugural season included a semi-staged
presentation of Elektra and a seven-city tour of China.
He is a
compelling and passionate communicator whose stimulating programs and
music-making have captivated audiences and musicians. He has been Music
Director of the St Louis Symphony since the 2005–06 season. Other titled
posts have included Principal Guest Conductor of the BBC Symphony
Orchestra, Music Director of the Orchestre National de Lyon and resident
conductor of the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra. A recognised expert in
20th- and 21st-century music, he has also been Music Director of the
Ensemble Intercontemporain in Paris (where composer and conductor Pierre
Boulez was an early supporter) and his discography includes music by
such composers as Adams, Bartók, Boulez, Carter, Ginastera, Milhaud and
Reich.
David Robertson is a frequent guest with major orchestras
and opera houses throughout the word and in recent seasons he has
conducted the New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Boston
Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and the Philadelphia and
Cleveland orchestras, as well as the Berlin Philharmonic, Staatskapelle
Dresden, BBC Symphony Orchestra and the Hong Kong Philharmonic
Orchestra. In 2014 he conducted the controversial but highly acclaimed
Metropolitan Opera premiere of John Adams' Death of Klinghoffer.
He
is a champion of young musicians, and has devoted time to working with
students and young artists throughout his career. In addition to
creating and leading outreach programs with the Ensemble
Intercontemporain and the Orchestre National de Lyon, he has worked with
students at Carnegie Hall's Academy, the Paris Conservatoire, the
Juilliard School, Tanglewood and Aspen Music Festival.
His awards
and accolades include Musical America Conductor of the Year (2000),
Columbia University's 2006 Ditson Conductor's Award, and, with the St
Louis Symphony, the 2005–06 ASCAP Morton Gould Award for Innovative
Programming. In 2010 he was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of
Arts and Sciences, and in 2011 a Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des
Lettres.
David Robertson was born in Santa Monica, California and
educated at the Royal Academy of Music in London, where he studied
French horn and composition before turning to orchestral conducting. He
is married to pianist Orli Shaham.
The position of Chief Conductor & Artistic Director is also supported by Principal Partner Emirates
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