Michel Tabachnik

MICHEL TABACHNIK is a conductor with a long‑standing international career, regularly invited as a guest by leading orchestras and major festivals around the world. He served for several years as Chief Conductor of the Brussels Philharmonic (2008–2015), where he now holds the title of Honorary Conductor. During his tenure, he contributed significantly to the orchestra’s artistic growth through international tours, residencies at the Cité de la Musique in Paris, and appearances at prominent cultural centres across Europe and in Asia. Over several seasons, he has conducted the Orchestre de Paris, as well as the SWR Symphony Orchestra Stuttgart, the Konzerthausorchester Berlin, Teatro La Fenice in Venice, the St. Petersburg Philharmonic, the Budapest Festival Orchestra, the RAI National Symphony Orchestra in Turin, the orchestras of Paris and Italian Switzerland, as well as at the prestigious festivals of Lucerne and Salzburg. A graduate of the Geneva Conservatory in piano, composition, and conducting, his career gained momentum through collaborations with leading musicians. Herbert von Karajan invited him to work with the Berlin Philharmonic; Igor Markevitch entrusted him with an assistantship at the Radio Orchestra of Madrid; and his collaboration with Pierre Boulez at the BBC Symphony Orchestra brought him into close contact with the leading composers of the 20^th century, including Stockhausen, Berio, Ligeti, and Messiaen. He has given more than one hundred world premieres, including many works by Iannis Xenakis, who regarded him as his preferred interpreter. Tabachnik has held chief conductor positions at several institutions, among them the Gulbenkian Foundation in Lisbon, the Orchestre Philharmonique de Lorraine, the Ensemble Intercontemporain in Paris, and the Noord Nederlands Orkest, where he continues to serve as Honorary Conductor. He also maintains a significant presence in the opera world, having conducted in Paris, Geneva, Zurich, Copenhagen, Lisbon, Rome, Madrid, Montreal, and at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow. He works regularly with the Canadian Opera Company in Toronto, where he has led productions of Lohengrin, Madama Butterfly, Carmen, and Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress. He gives masterclasses in various European cities and has taught conducting at universities and music academies in Toronto and Copenhagen. His discography spans a wide repertoire - from classical composers such as Beethoven and Bruckner to contemporary figures such as Xenakis and Boulez - and several of his recordings have received international awards and critical acclaim. In addition to his conducting career, Tabachnik has established himself as a composer of orchestral works, with premieres in Paris, Besançon, and Lyon. His opera Benjamin – dernière nuit was staged at the Opéra de Lyon, and his Cello Concerto was performed by Gautier Capuçon. Tabachnik is also the author of several books and essays on music and the philosophy of art, as well as novels that blend literary imagination with an intellectual approach to cultural themes.