Jean-Marie Zeitouni

Jean-Marie Zeitouni, music director of the Columbus Symphony and since 2011 principal conductor and artistic director of I Musici de Montréal, has emerged as one of Canada’s brightest young conductors whose eloquent yet fiery style results in regular re-engagements across North America. Enjoying also an association with Les Violons du Roy that goes back many years, first as conductor-in-residence, then as associate conductor, and since 2008 as principal guest conductor, he has led the ensemble in more than 200 performances in the province of Québec, across Canada and in Mexico. In 2006, he recorded his first album with Les Violons du Roy entitled Piazzolla which received a JUNO Award for Classical Album Of The Year in the category Solo or Chamber Ensemble in 2007. They also have two subsequent recordings: Bartok in 2008 and Britten in 2010.

The 2012/13 season is another season of active guest-conducting, bringing him to the Calgary Philharmonic, the symphonies of Montreal, Edmonton and Victoria, the Grand Rapids Symphony and Théâtre du Capitole, Toulouse.

He has previous conducted many of the major Canadian orchestras, including subscription concerts with the Vancouver Symphony, Toronto Symphony and Montreal Symphony. In the U.S. he led the Seattle Symphony, Phoenix Symphony, Oregon Symphony, St. Louis Opera and Cincinnati Opera. From 2002-2006, Zeitouni was associate conductor and chorus master at l’Opera de Montreal and was Music Director of their Young Artist Programme. In 2004, he appeared as assistant conductor at the Mostly Mozart Festival in New York City.