Lorenzo Viotti

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

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

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]

References

  1. ^ a b "Lorenzo Viotti wins the Nestlé and Salzburg Festival Young Conductors Awards". Gramophone. 10 August 2015. Retrieved 16 December 2017.
  2. ^ a b "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. ^ a b "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.