Born in Beirut, Maestro George Pehlivanian’s extraordinary musical journey began at a young age, with piano lessons at the age of three and violin lessons at six. In 1975, he relocated to Los Angeles with his family, where his passion for music flourished. He honed his craft under the mentorship of renowned maestros Pierre Boulez, Lorin Maazel, and Ferdinand Leitner. After earning the prestigious Diploma di Merito from the Accademia Chigiana in Siena, Maestro Pehlivanian achieved a remarkable milestone in 1991 by winning the Grand Prize at the Besançon Conducting Competition, awarded unanimously by the esteemed international jury. Notably, he remained the first and only American for over six decades to receive this distinguished honor, solidifying his place among the most revered figures in the world of conducting.
Since then, Maestro George Pehlivanian has solidified his reputation as one of the preeminent conductors of his generation. He has graced the world’s most prestigious concert stages, leading an impressive roster of renowned orchestras, including the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Philharmonia, Israel Philharmonic, Filarmonica della Scala, Leipzig Gewandhaus, NDR Hamburg, and the Orchestra of the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma. His collaborations also extend to the Orchestra dell’Accademia di Santa Cecilia, Rotterdam Philharmonic, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Monte-Carlo Philharmonic, Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Orchestra Nazionale della RAI Torino, BBC Philharmonic, Czech Philharmonic, and prominent German orchestras such as the Bamberger Symphoniker, hr-Sinfonieorchester, the Norddeutsche and Südwestrundfunk Symphony Orchestras, as well as the Saarländisches Staatsorchester, the Dortmunder and Bremer Philharmoniker.
Further notable appearances include performances with the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Orquesta Nacional de España, Belgian National Orchestra, Orchestra del Teatro di San Carlo, Teatro Comunale di Bologna, I Pomeriggi Musicali di Milano, l’Opera di Genova, Verona, Parma, Bari e Trieste, la Filarmonica Arturo Toscanini, Orquesta Radio Televisión de España, and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, among many others.
In North America, Maestro Pehlivanian has captivated audiences with leading engagements with the Houston Symphony, Montreal Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, Cincinnati Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony, Toronto Symphony, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, Buffalo Philharmonic, Rochester Philharmonic, and the symphonies of Honolulu, Puerto Rico, Vancouver, Ottawa, Quebec, and the Pacific.
His global presence extends to performances with the Russian National Orchestra, Moscow Philharmonic, Mariinsky Theater Orchestra, Fedosseyev Orchestra, Sydney Symphony, Japan Virtuosi Symphony, and the symphony orchestras of Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Qatar, Qingdao, and Shanghai.
In the winter of 2017, Maestro Pehlivanian made history as the first conductor of Armenian descent to lead the Presidential Symphony Orchestra of Turkey in Ankara, and was subsequently invited to lead the Borusan and Istanbul State Symphony Orchestras. This groundbreaking achievement highlights his enduring legacy and exceptional contribution to the global music community.
Equally distinguished in the operatic and symphonic realms, Maestro George Pehlivanian has led some of the most prestigious opera houses across Europe and the United States. His operatic repertoire includes Jenůfa, Il Barbiere di Siviglia, and Ernani for the New Israeli Opera; La Traviata at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg; Tosca at the Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux and St. Etienne; the Dutch premiere of Riders to the Sea in Rotterdam; La Voix Humaine at the Cité de la Musique in Paris; and Otello, Cavalleria Rusticana, and Gianni Schicchi at Teatro San Carlo di Napoli. Additional productions include Pique Dame and Andrea Chénier at Teatro Lirico in Cagliari; La Damnation de Faust at Teatro San Carlo in Naples and Teatro Regio in Parma; and Carmen for Teatro Petruzzelli in Bari, Istanbul State Opera, and Long Beach Opera, all of which received widespread acclaim.
Maestro Pehlivanian has also made significant contributions to contemporary opera, conducting the world premieres of Le Jour des Meurtres by Pierre Thilloy at l’Opéra-Théâtre de Metz and Sette Storie per Lasciare il Mondo by Marco Betta. His critically acclaimed production of Boris Godunov at Teatro Massimo in Palermo stands as a testament to his visionary artistry.
Throughout his career, Maestro Pehlivanian has collaborated with many of the world’s finest artists, including violinists Maxim Vengerov, Leonidas Kavakos, Midori, Vadim Repin, Hilary Hahn, Lisa Batiashvili, Leila Josefowicz, Renaud Capuçon, Sarah Chang, and Joshua Bell; cellists Misha Maisky, Boris Pergamenchikov, Gautier Capuçon, and Lynn Harrell; pianists Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Katia Buniatishvili, Arcadi Volodos, Fazil Say, and Emmanuel Ax; and iconic musicians such as Gidon Kremer, Gil Shaham, and Maurice André. His collaborations also include legendary vocalists such as Mirella Freni, Ruggero Raimondi, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Ferruccio Furlanetto, Leona Mitchell, Leo Nucci, Vladimir Galouzine, and Denyce Graves. This impressive list reflects his status as a conductor of the highest caliber.
In recognition of his leadership and artistry, Maestro George Pehlivanian served as Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Slovenian Philharmonic from 2005 to 2008. He has also held prominent Principal Guest Conductor positions with the Residentie Orkest of The Hague, Wiener Kammerorchester, Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz, and the Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra, and served as Principal Conductor of the Teatro Lirico di Cagliari.
Maestro Pehlivanian has been a distinguished presence at major international music festivals including the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, White Nights Festival of Saint Petersburg, Aix-en-Provence, MITO Milan, Radio France Festival in Montpellier, Jeunesse Musicale in Vienna, Bruckner Festival in Linz, Verdi Festival in Parma, Ravenna Festival, Aspen Music Festival, and the festivals of San Sebastián, Santander, Ravello, Madrid, Cannes MIDEM, El Escorial, Ljubljana, Granada, Osaka, and Kyoto.
His discography reflects his versatility and commitment to excellence. It includes a double CD release on Virgin Classics/EMI with the Monte-Carlo Philharmonic and recordings for BMG with the London Philharmonic. He led the world premiere recording of works by Zhukov with the Residentie Orchestra for the CHANDOS label, recorded works by Rodrigo with the Orquesta Nacional de España for STUDIO SM, and recorded Liszt’s complete works for piano and orchestra with pianist Louis Lortie and the Residentie Orchestra for CHANDOS, earning critical acclaim from Gramophone Magazine. He also recorded works by Christian Jost for Coviello and released Shostakovich’s Leningrad Symphony with the Joven Orquesta Nacional de España on the IBS Classical label, marking the first time a Spanish orchestra recorded this work.
In September 2023, SONY Classical released Maestro Pehlivanian’s recording with the London Philharmonic Orchestra. He continues to record actively with the RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra and has produced more than a dozen recordings, as well as recordings of major Slovenian composers with the Slovenian National Philharmonic Orchestra.
In 2011, Maestro George Pehlivanian founded the Touquet International Music Masters in France. In 2012, he was appointed Professor of Conducting at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris, and in 2013 became Director of the Postgraduate Conducting Department at the Higher School of Music Education Katarina Gurska in Madrid.
In 2020, Maestro Pehlivanian founded the Slovenian Festival Orchestra, an ensemble recognized for its artistic quality and social mission. Its Pehlivanian Professional Opera Academy tours annually in Slovenia and provides opportunities to young musicians, with approximately 75 percent of its members being highly skilled freelance artists. The orchestra has been invited to perform at the Ravello Festival in 2024.
Maestro Pehlivanian is also the Founder and Artistic Director of the Pehlivanian International Conducting Competition, scheduled for November 2026 in Bled, Slovenia. Alongside the competition, he initiated the Sustainable Career Development Conference, an international forum bringing together artists, educators, and cultural leaders to address structural challenges in classical music careers and promote more sustainable and inclusive professional pathways.
