Amsterdam-native Jaap van Zweden is one of today’s most sought-after conductors. He has been Music Director of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra since 2008, and in September 2012 he took up the position of Music Director of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra. He began his conducting career in 1995, holding the positions of Chief Conductor of the Netherlands Symphony Orchestra (1996-2000), Chief Conductor of the Residentie Orchestra of The Hague (2000-2005), and Chief Conductor of the Royal Flemish Philharmonic Orchestra (2008-2011) and Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra and Radio Chamber Orchestras from 2005-2011. He guest conducts prestigious orchestras worldwide including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Cleveland Orchestra, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Berliner Philharmoniker, the Vienna Philharmonic, the London Symphony orchestra, the Orchestre de Paris, and many more. Van Zweden was the recipient of Musical America's Conductor of the Year Award 2012.
French violinist Renaud Capuçon was discovered in 1998 by the late great Claudio Abbado and named Konzertmeister of the Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester. Soon his talent earned him the titles of "Rising Star" and "New Talent of the Year" at the French Victoires de la Musique classique (2000), as well as the 2005 "Instrumental Soloist of the Year". In addition to his international career, he founded the Bel-Air Encounters of Chamber Music, which he conducted from 1996 to 2010. He is also founder and artistic director of the Festival de Pâques in Aix en Provence.
© Picture: © Nicolas Brodard.
