Biography - George Pehlivanian

Personal detail

French-American conductor, born in Beirut, into a musical family. George Pehlivanian’s path in music began with piano and violin lessons at the age of three and six respectively. In 1975, Pehilvanian and his family emigrated to Los Angeles and went on to study conducting with Pierre Boulez, Lorin Maazel and Ferdinand Leitner. He also spent two summers at the Accademia Musicale Chigiana in Siena where he was awarded the Diploma di Merito.

In 1991 Mr. Pehlivanian was crowned unanimously by the International Jury, with the Grand Prize of the Besançon International Conducting Competition. Thus becoming the first American to have received this honor in the history of one of the most respected competitions in the world.

Work

Since then Maestro Pehlivanian has consolidated his reputation as one of the leading conductors of his generation. On the concert-platform he has led many of the world’s leading orchestras including the London Philharmonic Orchestra and the Philharmonia, Israel Philharmonic, Filarmonica della Scala, Leipzig Gewandhaus Leipzig, NDR Hamburg , Orchestra of the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma, Orchestra dell’Accademia di Santa Cecilia, Rotterdam Philharmonic, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Monte-Carlo Philharmonic, Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Orchestra Nazionale della RAI Torino, the BBC Philharmonic, Bamberger Symphoniker, the Czech Philharmonic, the Norddeutsche, Hessische and Südwetsdeutsche Runfunk Symphony Orchestras, Saarländisches Staatsorchester, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Teatro Comunale di Bologna, Orquesta Nacional de España, Nationaal Orkest van België, Orchestra del Teatro di San Carlo, Orquesta Radio Television de España, Royal Scottish National Orchestra and many others.

In North America he has conducted the Houston, Montreal, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, St. Paul, Buffalo, Rochester, Honolulu, Puerto Rico, Vancouver, Ottawa, Quebec, Toronto and the Pacific Symphony Orchestras. He has also worked with the Russian National Orchestra, Moscow Philharmonic, Mariinsky Theater Orchestra, Sydney Symphony, Japan Virtuoso Symphony, Malaysian Philharmonic, Hong Kong Philharmonic, Qatar Philharmonic, Quingdao and Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestras. In Winter of 2017 Maestro Pehlivanian made history as the first conductor of Armenian descent to conduct the Presidential Symphony Orchestra of Ankara.

Equally at home in the Operatic World as in the Symphonic, Mr. Pehlivanian has conducted leading opera companies of both Europe and the United States, including performances of CARMEN for the Long Beach Opera, California, JENUFA, BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA, and ERNANI for the New Israeli Opera, LA TRAVIATA at the Mariinsky, St. Petersburg, TOSCA at Grand Theatre de Bordeaux and St. Etienne, the Dutch premiere of RIDERS TO THE SEA in Rotterdam, LA VOIX HUMAINE at the Cite de la Musique, Paris, OTELLO, CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA and GIANNI SCHICCHI at Teatro San Carlo di Napoli, PIQUE DAME and ANDREA CHENIER at the Teatro Lirico, Cagliari, LE DAMNATION DE FAUST at Teatro San Carlo, Napoli and Teatro Regio, Parma, the world premieres of LE JOUR DES MEURTRES by Pierre Thilloy for l’Opéra-Théâtre de Metz and SETTE STORIE PER LASCIARE IL MONDO by Marco Betta as well as a critically acclaimed new production of BORIS GODUNOV for Teatro Massimo di Palermo.

In 2011 George Pehlivanian founded the Touquet International Music Masters in France, a unique festival assembling the National Youth Orchestras of Europe. In 2012 Maestro Pehlivanian was Professor at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris (CNSMDP) and in 2013 Maestro was the director of the Post Graduate Program in conducting at the Katarina Gurska Conservatory in Madrid.

Since 2020, Maestro has founded his own Opera Academy , the Pehlivanian Professional Opera Academy (PPOA), in the beautiful city of Bled, in Slovenia. In 2022, Maestro Pehlivanian decided to create his own National Orchestra, the Slovenian Festival Orchestra , the resident orchestra of the Festival Hall of Bled, Slovenia.

Collaboration

He has collaborated with the Best. Some of the renowned artists include : Maxim Vengerov, Leonidas Kavakos, Vadim Repim, Sarah Chang, Joshua Bell, Janine Jansen, Misha Maisky, Gidon Kremer, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Gil Shaham, Arcadi Volodos, Emmanuel Ax, Lynn Harrell, Fazil Say, Nemanja Radulovic, Patricia Kopatchinskaja, Maurice Andre, Evelyn Glennie, Andre Watts, Mirella Freni, Ruggero Raimondi, Dimitri Hvorostovsky, Ferrucio Furlanetto, Leona Mitchell, Leo Nucci, Simon Estes, Albert Dohmen, Carlo Guelfi, Denyce Graves, Vladimir Galuzin, Bernarda Fink, Marjana Lipovsek and countless more of the world’s highest calibre soloists/artists.

Maestro Pehlivanian was asked to become the Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Slovenian Philharmonic (2005-2008) and has held many Principal Guest Conductor positions with various orchestras, such as: Residentie Orkest of The Hague, Wiener Kammerorchester, Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz, Teatro Lirico di Cagliari, and the Armenian Philharmonic Orchestras.

He has appeared at many of the world’s most important International Music Festivals, including the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, White Nights of Saint Petersburg, Aix-en-Province, Mito Milan, Radio France de Montpellier, Jeunesse Musicale Vienna, Festival Bruckner of Linz, Verdi Festival di Parma, Rávena, Aspen, San Sebastien, Santander, Ravello, Madrid, Cannes MIDEM, El Escorial, Ljubljana, Granada, Osaka, and Kyoto.

Discography

His discography includes a double CD release on Virgin Classics/EMI with the Monte-Carlo Philharmonic, recordings with Sony Classical with London Philharmonic, the world premiere recording of music by Zhukov under CHANDOS with the Residentie Orchestra, works by Rodrigo with the Orquesta Nacional de España STUDIO SM, as well as Liszt’s complete works for piano and orchestra with Louis Lortie and the Residentie Orchestra for Chandos. This recording received special praise by Gramophone Magazine.

Specialist in interpreting today’s music, Maestro Pehlivanian’s latest CD release of Christian Jost music for Coviello ,was received with great enthusiasm. His historic recording of the monumental Leningrad Symphony of Shostakovich was released with IBS classical. First time a Spanish orchestra recorded this grandiose Symphony in history, and this with, one of his favorite …etc,…Which he has regularly conducted for the past two decades.

Maestro Pehlivanians

Recent highlights

2012

• Gewandhaus Debut – gala concert, re-invited for a further two consecutive seasons.

• Orchestra National of Spain – An orchestra he has conducted since 1996. He works regularly with them and has done almost all the large Orchestral and Choral works – Verdi Requiem, Beethoven 9th Symphony, Romeo et Juliette (Berlioz), War Requiem, Gurrelieder, Egmont, Faure & Mozart Requiems, Alexander Nevsky, numerous commissions, tours and recording an all Rodrigo CD.

• Invited soloists include Joshua Bell, Vadim Repin, AndreWatts, Labecque sisters, Achucarro, Akiko Meyers, Tzimon Barto, and others.

• Qatar Philharmonic Debut – returned for three more consecutive seasons, programmes including Strauss festival, Alpine Symphony, Todd und Verklarung, Rosenkavalier Suite, Till Eulenspiegel, Shostakovich Leningrad Symphony.

• Israeli Opera – Janacek Jenufa

• Teatro Massimo (Palermo) -Mussorgsky Boris Godunov

• Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz – where he had previously been Principal Guest Conductor for 10 years.

• Slovenian Philharmonic where he was Chief Conductor and Artistic Director for 5 years.

2013

• Orchestre Philharmonic de Liege – he has conducted this orchestra for more than 15 years.

• Programmes have included all Rachmaninov piano concertos in 2 concerts with many tone poems. Invited soloists included – Nelson Goerner, Bertrand Chamayou, Benedetto Lupo and Claire-Marie Le Guay.

• Taiwan Philharmonic – Premiered Pierre Boulez’s Les Notations in Taiwan (before Rattle and Berlin Phil), with Shostakovich 5 Symphony.

• Bolzano Haydn Orchestra Debut – where he returns regularly and has taken them on several tours and important festivals in Italy.

• Teatro Massimo (Palermo) – Premiere of Marco Betta’s modern Opera ’Sette Storie per lasciare il mondo’.

• Opera de Marseille, symphonic season with Laurent Korcia and the French Premiere of Christian Jost’s music.

• Ljubljana Festival – Maestro took the ‘La Scala’ Academie singers on a special Gala concert to the Ljubljana International Summer Festival.

• International Tour with the Joven Orchestra Nacional de Espana with whom he has worked regularly over 10 years already, programmes include The Rite of Spring’s 100th anniversary Premiere, and taking them to the Festival Aix en Province, San Sebastian, Santander and Madrid Festivals.

• Paris Salle Pleyel with the National Conservatory Orchestra of France where he is Professor of Conducting since 2012.

2014

• Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia subscription concerts – he has conducted this orchestra over 10 years now, it was Berio personally who first invited him. He conducted Schumann 4th Symphony, Strauss Don Quixote and Mendelssohn Midsummer Night Overture.

• Orchestra National of Spain – with Fazil Say as soloist, premiered his Symphony No. 3 as well as Piano Concerto in Spain.

• Teatro Massimo (Palermo) – 2 weeks of concerts with an All Strauss Festival. Tone Poems, Don Juan, Todd und Verklarung, Till Eulenspiegel, works with choir, Violin Concerto, etc,…

• Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra – return

• Festival of Ljubljana with the Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra.

2015

• Gala concert with the Belgian National Orchestra in Palais des Beaux Arts, with Maxim Vengerov, Mischa Maisky and Sergei Nakariakov. Programme included Tchaikovsky violin concerto, Arutunian Trumpet concerto and Spartacus Suite for Orchestra.

• reinvitation with Santa Cecilia again this season in the Summer Festival of Rome. American in Paris, Ravel Bolero, etc,…

• reinvitation with Orchestra National of Spain – subscription concerts.

• reinvitations with Orchestre de Liege, Slovakian Philharmonic, Slovenian Radio and TV Orchestra, Slovenian Philharmonic. Works covered, Bartok, Janacek, Rachmaninov, and Copland.

• 2 National Tours with the Bolzano Haydn Orchestra, Stravisnky Firebird, and soloist Stefano Bollani with Rhapsodie in Blue.

• First visit to the Puerto Rico Symphony with Shostakovich 10th Symphony.

• Valencia Symphony Orchestra, programme included Tchaikovsky Manfred, and Hummel Trumpet concerto with soloist Manuel Blanco.

2016

• Paris Chatelet concert with a cycle of Beethoven symphonies with the National Conservatory Orchestra of France.

• Paris Philharmonie de Paris concert with the National Conservatory Orchestra of France, works by Tchaikovsky, Walton, Beethoven and Messiaen.

• San Carlo Napoli Orchestra and soloist Gil Shaham. All Tchaikovsky program with Symphony 3 and Violin Concerto.

• First Tour to China, working with the Qingdao Symphony Orchestra with Shostakovich 5th Symphony. Also, was invited to hold Master Classes at the Shanghai National Conservatory.

• reinvitation with the Belgian National Orchestra in Palais des Beaux Arts, Dvorak 8th Symphony and commission.

• recorded and Toured the Shostakovich Leningrad 7th Symphony with the Spanish National Youth Orchestra.

• Toured Spain with the Castilla y Leon orchestra, programme Beethoven 4th and 5th Symphonies all over Spain and Spanish soloists, will return in 2019.

• Concerts with the I Pomeriggi Musicali Orchestra of Milano, returning with soloist Mischa Maisky in 2018.

• Conducted the Saarbrucken Staatsoper Orchestra, programme Tchaikovsky Suite No. 3 and soloist Sharon Kam with Weber Clarinet Concerto.

2017

• A historic invitation by the Turkish Presidential Orchestra of Ankara for 2 consecutive weeks and programmes. Conducted Beethoven’s 5th Symphony, Stravisnky’s Firebird, soloist Jabloski with Paganini variations, soloist Soyoung Yoon with Shostakovich No. 1 violin concerto, AND the first ever hearing of the music of Komitas in Turkey by a Turkish Orchestra.

• Return visit to Bratislava again with the Slovakian Symphony Orchestra, Premiere of Bartok’s Cantata Profana in Slovakia, Profofiev’s Scythian Suite, and 2 works by Rachmaninov for orchestra, will return in 2018 and 2019.

• Rome Opera Orchestra Debut with Stravinsky’s Firebird, Komitas and the Italian Premiere of Stepan Rostomyan’s Symphony No. 3.

• Spanish Radio and TV Orchestra with Rossini’s Stabat Mater.

• Debut in Valencia’s Opera House with Mahler’s ‘Das Lied von der Erde’ , with Elena Zhidkova and Nikolai Schukoff.

• Returning to the Slovenian Radio and TV orchestra with Rimsky Korsakov’s Sheherazade.

• Returning to the Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie Rheinlandpfalz, programme includes Pictures at an Exhibition of Mussorgsky, Rostomyan’s German Premiere of Symphony 3, and Spartacus Suite.

• Returning to Milano’s I Pomerrigi Musicali with Nikolaj Znaider and the Sibelius Concerto.

• Palermo’s Orchestra Siciliana for Schubert’s Great Symphony.

• Returning to Puerto Rico’s Symphony with Tchaikovsky’s Manfred Symphony, Faure’s Pelleas et Melisande and Poulenc’s concerto for two pianos.

• Returning to the Belgian National Orchestra in Palais des Beaux Arts and Belgian Tour with Lutoslawsky’s 4th Symphony, Ligeti’s Concert Romanesc and Rachmaninov’s Piano concerto 2.

• Debut concert in Shanghai with the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra, New Year’s Gala concert.

2018

• Returning on two occasions to Milano’s I Pomerrigi Musicali once with Misha Maisky Trio with Beethoven’s Triple and the other with an All Schumann concert including the Third Symphony.

• Invited on an Italian Tour with the Orchestra della Toscana de Firenze with Alessandro Carbonare as soloist. Copland Mozart Clarinet Concerto with Schubert’s 3rd Symphony.

• Reinvited to the Orchestra della Toscana de Firenze for the 1000th Anniversary of San Miniato Abbey, with World Premiere Commission work by Dikran Mansoorian.

• Returning to the National Orchestra of Belgium for a series of concerts in Belgium and Palais des Beaux Arts.

• Seventh Edition of his Festival, the Touquet International Music Masters (TIMM).

• Returning to the Haydn Orchestra of Bolzano with World Premiere Commission of Ney Rosauro’s, Double Concerto for Marimba and Timpany and Sheherazade.

• Returning to Bratislava on two occasions, once to the Bratislava International Music Festival with the Slovakian Philharmonic, music of De Falla, Marquez, Francaix and Saint-Saens. And once again with subscription concerts of the Philharmonic, with Bruckner’s Seventh Symphony.

• Returning to conduct the Orchestre National de Montpellier for the closing Gala concert of the Festival du Radio France in Montpellier (100th Anniversary of Leonard Bernstein)

• Returning to the Slovenian Radio and Television Orchestra.