Lorenzo Viotti

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Lorenzo Viotti
Lorenzo Viotti, May 2024.jpg
Viotti in May 2024
Born (1990-03-15) 15 March 1990 (age 35)
Lausanne, Switzerland
Occupations
  • Percussionist
  • Conductor
Organizations
Parent(s) Marcello Viotti, Marie-Laurence Geneviève Jacqueline Bret
Awards Cadaqués Orchestra International Conducting Competition

Lorenzo Viotti (born 15 March 1990) is a Swiss conductor.

Contents

Biography

The son of conductor Marcello Viotti, [1] Viotti was born in Lausanne. He studied piano, voice and percussion in Lyon. In Vienna, he attended the conducting class of Georg Mark, and played as a percussionist with several orchestras, including the Vienna Philharmonic. He continued conducting studies at the University of Music Franz Liszt Weimar with Nicolás Pasquet, completing his studies in 2015. [2] Growing up, he enjoyed playing funk and jazz music as a drummer, and played in his sister Marina Viotti's death metal band to have the "biggest possible musical vocabulary possible". [3]

In 2012, Viotti was recipient of the first prize at the Cadaqués Orchestra International Conducting Competition. He made his professional conducting debut with the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra in July 2014. [4] In 2015, he won the Nestlé and Salzburg Festival Young Conductors Awards. [1] He won the conducting competition of the MDR Sinfonieorchester in 2016. [2] He was chosen "Newcomer of the Year" at the 2017 International Opera Awards.

In January 2017, Viotti first guest-conducted the Gulbenkian Orchestra, and returned in the same season for a second guest-conducting appearance. In October 2017, the Gulbenkian Orchestra announced the appointment of Viotti as its next music director, effective with the 2018–2019 season, with an initial contract of three seasons. [5] Viotti stood down as music director of the Gulbenkian Orchestra in 2021 and subsequently took the title of principal guest conductor with the orchestra.

In February 2018, Viotti first guest-conducted the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra (NedPhO). In April 2019, the NedPhO announced the appointment of Viotti as its next chief conductor, effective with the 2021–2022 season. [6] With this appointment, Viotti simultaneously became chief conductor of the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra, the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra, and Dutch National Opera. [7] In April 2023, Dutch National Opera and the NedPhO, announced the scheduled conclusion of Viotti's tenure at all three posts at the close of the 2024–2025 season. [8] [9]

In August 2024, the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra announced the appointment of Viotti as its next music director, effective with the 2026-2027 season, with an initial contract of three years. [4] In December 2025, Zürich Opera announced the appointment of Viotti as its next Generalmusikdirektor, effective with the 2028-2029 season, with an initial contract of two seasons. [10]

References

  1. 1 2 "Lorenzo Viotti wins the Nestlé and Salzburg Festival Young Conductors Awards". Gramophone . 10 August 2015. Retrieved 16 December 2017.
  2. 1 2 "Viotti wird Chefdirigent des Gulbenkian-Orchesters". Musik Heute (in German). 16 October 2017. Retrieved 16 December 2017.
  3. ↑ Siegal, Nina (3 September 2021). "'We're Like Athletes Here': The Maestro With a Gym Habit". The New York Times . Retrieved 4 September 2021.
  4. 1 2 "Lorenzo Viotti Named Next Music Director of the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra" (Press release). Tokyo Symphony Orchestra. 9 August 2024. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
  5. ↑ "Lorenzo Viotti appointed Music Director of the Gulbenkian Orchestra" (Press release). Gulbenkian Orchestra. 13 October 2017. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
  6. ↑ "Lorenzo Viotti nieuwe chef-dirigent bij het Nederlands Philharmonisch Orkest en De Nationale Opera" (Press release) (in Dutch). Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra. 24 April 2019. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
  7. ↑ "Lorenzo Viotti aangesteld als nieuwe chef-dirigent" (Press release) (in Dutch). De Nationale Opera. 24 April 2019. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
  8. ↑ "Lorenzo Viotti zoekt nieuwe balans" (Press release) (in Dutch). De Nationale Opera. 21 April 2023. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
  9. ↑ "Lorenzo Viotti zoekt nieuwe balans" (Press release) (in Dutch). Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra. 21 April 2023. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
  10. ↑ "Neuer Generalmusikdirektor: Lorenzo Viotti übernimmt ab August 2028 die musikalische Leitung" (PDF) (Press release). Zürich Opera. 22 December 2025. Retrieved 23 December 2025.