Ludovic Morlot
Encyclopedia
Ludovic Morlot is a French
conductor
.
As a youth, Morlot trained as a violinist. He later attended the Royal Academy of Music
, and began his studies in conducting in London in 1994, where his mentors included Sir Colin Davis, George Hurst
and Colin Metters
. At the Royal College of Music
, he was a Norman Del Mar
conducting fellow. In the US, he attended the Pierre Monteux
school for conductors. He held the Seiji Ozawa Fellowship in conducting at the Tanglewood
festival in 2001.
From 2002 to 2004, Morlot served as conductor-in-residence with the Orchestre National de Lyon
(ONL), where his responsibilities included conducting the ONL's two youth orchestras. From 2004 to 2007, he was an assistant conductor with the Boston Symphony Orchestra
, which he conducted for the first time in subscription concerts in April 2005.
Morlot's work in contemporary music has included conducting the US premieres of Gondwana by Tristan Murail
, in January 2009, and Helios Choros II (Sun God Dancers) by Augusta Read Thomas
in October 2009.
Morlot first guest-conducted the Seattle Symphony
in October 2009. His second guest appearance with the Seattle Symphony was in April 2010, as a substitute conductor in the wake of the 2010 Eyjafjallajökull eruptions
, which led to diminished rehearsal time and a change of programme. In June 2010, the Seattle Symphony announced the appointment of Morlot as its 15th music director, effective with the 2011-2012 season, with an initial contract of six years. He held the title of music director designate during the 2010-2011 season. In June 2011, La Monnaie
announced the appointment of Morlot as its next music director, as of the 2012-2013 season, with an initial contract of 5 years. Both the Seattle and Brussels positions represent Morlot's first music directorships of an orchestra and an opera company.
Morlot, his wife Ghizlane, a landscape designer and translator, and their two daughters, Nora and Iman, reside in Lyon. The family intends to relocate to Seattle upon Morlot's assumption of the Seattle music directorship.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
conductor
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
.
As a youth, Morlot trained as a violinist. He later attended the Royal Academy of Music
Royal Academy of Music
The Royal Academy of Music in London, England, is a conservatoire, Britain's oldest degree-granting music school and a constituent college of the University of London since 1999. The Academy was founded by Lord Burghersh in 1822 with the help and ideas of the French harpist and composer Nicolas...
, and began his studies in conducting in London in 1994, where his mentors included Sir Colin Davis, George Hurst
George Hurst
George Hurst is a British conductor.-Biography:Born in Edinburgh in 1926, Hurst studied at Bishops College School in Lennoxville, Quebec and the Royal Conservatory in Toronto Canada....
and Colin Metters
Colin Metters
Colin Metters, is an English conductor, orchestral trainer and conducting pedagogue and since 1983 the principal professor of conducting at the Royal Academy of Music in London.-Biography:...
. At the Royal College of Music
Royal College of Music
The Royal College of Music is a conservatoire founded by Royal Charter in 1882, located in South Kensington, London, England.-Background:The first director was Sir George Grove and he was followed by Sir Hubert Parry...
, he was a Norman Del Mar
Norman Del Mar
Norman Del Mar CBE was a British conductor, horn player, and biographer. As a conductor, he specialized in the music of late romantic composers; including Edward Elgar, Gustav Mahler, and Richard Strauss. He left a great legacy of recordings of British music, in particular Elgar, Vaughan Williams,...
conducting fellow. In the US, he attended the Pierre Monteux
Pierre Monteux
Pierre Monteux was an orchestra conductor. Born in Paris, France, Monteux later became an American citizen.-Life and career:Monteux was born in Paris in 1875. His family was descended from Sephardi Jews who came to France in the wake of the Spanish Inquisition. He studied violin from an early age,...
school for conductors. He held the Seiji Ozawa Fellowship in conducting at the Tanglewood
Tanglewood
Tanglewood is an estate and music venue in Lenox and Stockbridge, Massachusetts. It is the home of the annual summer Tanglewood Music Festival and the Tanglewood Jazz Festival, and has been the Boston Symphony Orchestra's summer home since 1937. It was the venue of the Berkshire Festival.- History...
festival in 2001.
From 2002 to 2004, Morlot served as conductor-in-residence with the Orchestre National de Lyon
Orchestre National de Lyon
The Orchestre National de Lyon is a French orchestra based in Lyon. Its current primary concert venue is l'Auditorium de Lyon. The orchestra operates with the help of a subsidy from the French Ministry of Culture and from the Rhône-Alpes regional council...
(ONL), where his responsibilities included conducting the ONL's two youth orchestras. From 2004 to 2007, he was an assistant conductor with the Boston Symphony Orchestra
Boston Symphony Orchestra
The Boston Symphony Orchestra is an orchestra based in Boston, Massachusetts. It is one of the five American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five". Founded in 1881, the BSO plays most of its concerts at Boston's Symphony Hall and in the summer performs at the Tanglewood Music Center...
, which he conducted for the first time in subscription concerts in April 2005.
Morlot's work in contemporary music has included conducting the US premieres of Gondwana by Tristan Murail
Tristan Murail
Tristan Murail is a French composer. His father, Gérard Murail, is a poet and his mother, Marie-Thérèse Barrois, a journalist. One of his brothers, Lorris Murail, and his younger sister Elvire Murail, aka Moka, also write, and his younger sister Marie-Aude Murail is a French children's writer...
, in January 2009, and Helios Choros II (Sun God Dancers) by Augusta Read Thomas
Augusta Read Thomas
Augusta Read Thomas is an American composer.Augusta Read Thomas was born in Glen Cove, New York. She attended The Green Vale School and later moved on to St. Paul's School in Concord, New Hampshire, and then studied composition with Jacob Druckman at Yale University and at the Royal Academy of...
in October 2009.
Morlot first guest-conducted the Seattle Symphony
Seattle Symphony
The Seattle Symphony is an American orchestra based in Seattle, Washington. Since 1998, the orchestra is resident at Benaroya Hall. The orchestra's season runs from September through July, and serves as the pit orchestra for most productions of the Seattle Opera in addition to its own concerts...
in October 2009. His second guest appearance with the Seattle Symphony was in April 2010, as a substitute conductor in the wake of the 2010 Eyjafjallajökull eruptions
2010 eruptions of Eyjafjallajökull
The 2010 eruptions of Eyjafjallajökull were volcanic events at Eyjafjöll in Iceland which, although relatively small for volcanic eruptions, caused enormous disruption to air travel across western and northern Europe over an initial period of six days in April 2010. Additional localised disruption...
, which led to diminished rehearsal time and a change of programme. In June 2010, the Seattle Symphony announced the appointment of Morlot as its 15th music director, effective with the 2011-2012 season, with an initial contract of six years. He held the title of music director designate during the 2010-2011 season. In June 2011, La Monnaie
La Monnaie
Le Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie , or the Koninklijke Muntschouwburg is a theatre in Brussels, Belgium....
announced the appointment of Morlot as its next music director, as of the 2012-2013 season, with an initial contract of 5 years. Both the Seattle and Brussels positions represent Morlot's first music directorships of an orchestra and an opera company.
Morlot, his wife Ghizlane, a landscape designer and translator, and their two daughters, Nora and Iman, reside in Lyon. The family intends to relocate to Seattle upon Morlot's assumption of the Seattle music directorship.