Raphael Bayary succeeds Kent Nagano

Young Venezuelan leads the Montreal Symphony Orchestra

The Montreal Symphony Orchestra announced yesterday that the leader of the Venezuelan orchestra, Raphael Bayary, will succeed American Kent Nagano as its music director.

The orchestra said Bayary would become its ninth musical director, and the first South American to hold this position, starting from the 2022-2023 season for at least five years.

Bayary succeeds Maestro Kent Nagano, who directed the orchestra from 2006 to 2020.

Bayary began collaborating with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra in 2018, and a natural "immediate" relationship arose between him and its musicians, according to the orchestra's statement.

"I hope with all my heart that I offer the audience, in full cooperation with the musicians, many moments of happiness, pride and hope," the statement quoted Bayary as saying.

Originally a trumpeter, Bayary is considered "one of the most prominent leaders of orchestras of his generation and one of the most famous among them on the international stage."

The Montreal Orchestra noted that his "innate musical sense, brilliant techniques and charisma that he enjoys on stage characterize his style and musical approach."

Bayari graduated from the renowned “El Sistema” music education program, established by José Antonio Abreu for young Venezuelan slums.

He won a prestigious international competition for young leaders of orchestras held in Denmark in 2012. From 2014 to 2019, he held the position of musical director of the Alster Orchestra in Northern Ireland, and is currently holding the same position in the San Diego Symphony Orchestra.

In recent years, he has directed a number of prominent symphony orchestras in Berlin, Vienna, London, Munich and Paris.

In the coming weeks Bayary will be conducting three concerts of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra that will be broadcasted online.

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