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American conductor Molly Turner is currently Conducting Fellow with the New World Symphony and a 2024/25 Dudamel Fellow at the Los Angeles Philharmonic. At New World Symphony, she leads subscription, family, educational, and holiday concerts. Her Dudamel Fellowship includes conducting performances with the LA Phil New Music Group’s ‘Noon to Midnight’ series and the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s ‘Symphonies for Schools’ concerts. During the 2024/25 season, Molly will debut with the Minnesota Orchestra in their education concert series and serve twice as cover conductor for the New York Philharmonic. Recent engagements include conducting appearances with the Orchestre de Paris, San Francisco Symphony’s SoundBox Series, Gstaad Festival Orchestra, Juilliard Orchestra, Dallas Opera Orchestra, and Tanglewood’s Festival of Contemporary Music.
Estonian conductor and clarinettist Erle Kont is recognized for her passionate advocacy of mental health and community-building through music. She regularly guest-conducts major Finnish orchestras including the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, and Tapiola Sinfonietta. Erle completed her Master’s in conducting at Sibelius Academy under Sakari Oramo. Also a distinguished clarinettist, she has received numerous awards in international competitions and performed extensively across the Baltic and Nordic regions. Erle is founder and Artistic Director of Tartu Sound, a contemporary music organization dedicated to innovative musical experiences and cultural engagement.
Costa Rican conductor Luis Castillo-Briceño is a 2024/25 Dudamel Fellow with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, working closely alongside Music Director Gustavo Dudamel and distinguished guest conductors. Previously, he served as Conducting Fellow with the London Philharmonic Orchestra under Edward Gardner, making his UK debut at the Brighton Dome in 2023. Upcoming debuts include performances with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Sinfonieorchester St Gallen, and Philharmonie Luxembourg, as well as conducting engagements on the LPO’s U.S. tour in 2024. In June 2024, Luis was named Designate Winner at the International Conducting Competition Rotterdam. Fluent in English, Spanish, French, and German, Luis currently resides in Zurich.
Conductor, Bar Avni is the First Prize winner of the 2024 La Maestra competition in Paris, a Prize awarded to her by an illustrious jury chaired by Natalie Stutzmann. Avni was the clear winner and swept the board at the competition, also winning The Orchestra Prize, the ‘Arte Prize’, the ‘Echo Award’ and the ‘Prize of the French Concert Halls and Orchestras’. For the next two years, she is a scholarship holder of the La Maestra Academy. There has subsequently been great interest in her work with invitations coming immediately from a number of major international orchestras. Avni’s astute and creative programming coupled with her clear, yet elegant conducting style is making a strong impression on all who encounter her.
Bar Avni is currently Chief Conductor of the Bayer Philharmoniker, a position she has held since 2021. She is the first female conductor to hold this position in the orchestra’s 120 year history. She is strongly committed to the promotion of new, young talent and has worked closely with the team in Bayer to devise a number of exciting music education projects, a topic she feels very strongly about.
A trained classical percussionist, the Israeli conductor initially performed in her country’s leading orchestras, after which her desire to conduct took her to Tel Aviv where she studied with Yoav Talmi, later becoming the assistant conductor of the Israel Chamber Orchestra under Talmi’s direction. She continued her studies with Martin Sieghart in Graz and Ulrich Windfuhr in Hamburg. In 2017/18, Avni was assistant to General Music Director, Peter Kuhn, at the Bergischer Symphoniker and in 2021, she became the youngest prize-winner and Scholarship holder of the International Kurt Masur Institute.
A fascinating personality of the international music scene, Ion Marin is one of few conductors to work on the highest level in both the symphonic and operatic domains. He has conducted virtually all the great European orchestras, including the Berliner Philharmoniker, Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Staatskapelle Dresden, Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, London Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, Orchestre national de France, Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia and St. Petersburg Philharmonic. He also appears regularly in Japan, where he conducts the NHK Symphony Orchestra and the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra. He is a regular guest at the world’s major opera houses, including the Metropolitan Opera, Teatro alla Scala, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Bayerische Staatsoper and Opéra national de Paris. The Salzburg Mozarteum University appointed Maestro Ion Marin Professor of the Endowed Claudio Abbado chair for conducting, starting academic year 2020/2021. He is also the Artistic Director of the University’s symphonic activities.
Born in Romania, Ion Marin studied composition, piano and conducting at the George Enescu Music Academy and at Mozarteum Salzburg. He also studied philosophy and the history of religion. Defecting from Romania’s dictatorship in 1986 led to a new life and musical career as well as his receiving Austrian citizenship. He became Resident Conductor of the Wiener Staatsoper during Claudio Abbado’s tenure (1987-1991) and worked with some of the leading singers of the world. In Vienna, he also benefited from the guidance of Herbert von Karajan and Carlos Kleiber.
In 2012, Maestro Marin initiated the Cantus Mundi and the Symphonia Mundi projects in Romania, dedicated to the education and social integration of the country’s disadvantaged children through music. Today more than 70.000 children benefit from this program.
In 2021 Ion Marin was awarded the title of Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres of the French Republic.
Luca Ballabio obtained a Master’s Degree in Orchestra Conducting at the Conservatorio della Svizzera Italiana in Lugano, studying under Marc Kissoczy and Arturo Tamayo. He focused on opera through courses with Riccardo Muti and Daniel Oren. As assistant conductor to Sesto Quatrini from 2018 to 2020, he contributed to productions at the Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre. Luca made his mark at the Rossini Opera Festival in 2021, conducting Il Viaggio a Reims to critical acclaim. He served as cover conductor for Norma at La Monnaie Opera House in Brussels. Invited by numerous institutions, he has conducted various orchestras worldwide. Notable performances include those at Serate Musicali and the Verdi Hall in Milan. Since the 2021/22 season, Luca has been the Music Director of the Filarmonica Ettore Pozzoli and co-founded the FEP Specialization Course in Operatic Singing. He began his musical journey with a Master’s Degree in Music Performance (Trombone) in Leipzig. Throughout his career, he has collaborated with esteemed musicians across major European orchestras and opera houses.
Nathanaël Iselin, a French conductor based in Scandinavia, secured the First Prize and Orchestra Prize at the Eighth International Jorma Panula Conducting Competition. In 2023, he served as Conductor in Residence of the Iceland Symphony Orchestra and earned Second Prize at the German Conducting Award, conducting the WDR Sinfonieorchester and Gürzenich-Orchester. His notable achievements include leading performances with orchestras such as the Danish Radio Orchestra, the Copenhagen Philharmonic, and the orchestras of Odense, Aarhus, and Oulu, in repertoire ranging from Berlioz’ Symphonie Fantastique to Debussy’s La Mer. Nathanël has also conducted operatic productions including Cenerentola, Carmen, and Rigoletto. His extensive training in orchestra conducting includes studies in Helsinki, Paris, Zurich, and Copenhagen, under the guidance of renowned conductors like Iván Fischer, Mariss Jansons, and Sakari Oramo.Top of Form
Argentinian conductor Michelle Di Russo was recently appointed Associate Conductor of the Fort Worth Symphony under the guidance of Robert Spano. She has also distinguished herself as a 2023 Dudamel Fellow with the LA Philharmonic and a mentee of the Taki Alsop Fellowship. Michelle’s accomplishments include being a former conducting fellow of the Lucerne Festival Academy, Chicago Sinfonietta’s Project Inclusion program, and The Dallas Opera Hart Institute, as well as a recipient of the Richard S. Weinert award from Concert Artists Guild. Notable guest conducting debuts with the LA Philharmonic, Knoxville Symphony, Delaware Symphony, and Vermont Symphony among others, underscore her rising stature in the conducting world. Additionally, her experience as a cover conductor for orchestras such as the St Louis Symphony and the National Symphony, and her regular performances with the North Carolina Symphony, further attest to her versatility and skill.
Rita Castro Blanco, one of Portugal’s most promising young conductors, has made significant debuts with the Orquestra Gulbenkian, Orquestra Metropolitana de Lisboa, and Orquestra Sinfónica Portuguesa. Currently serving as Assistant Conductor of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra for the 2023/24 season, Rita’s career continues to ascend. In addition to her orchestral engagements, she freelances as an Assistant Conductor, collaborating with esteemed conductors such as Nuno Coelho, Giancarlo Guerrero, Joana Carneiro, and Clark Rundell. Rita’s passion for opera and contemporary music has led her to prestigious festivals like Tanglewood, Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, and Lucerne Festival. Throughout her studies, Rita has enriched her skills through masterclasses with renowned ensembles including the Royal Opera House Orchestra, London Sinfonietta, Stavanger Symphony Orchestra, and Balthasar Neumann Ensemble. Recent highlights in her career include performances with the Lucerne Festival Contemporary Orchestra, Orquestra Sinfonica de Navarra, and Real Filarmonía de Galicia.
Domingo Hindoyan is Chief Conductor of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and Music Director Designate of Los Angeles Opera, where he will begin his tenure as Music Director in the 2026/27 season.
Since beginning his tenure in Liverpool, Hindoyan has shaped a distinctive artistic vision with the orchestra, marked by highly praised performances, dynamic programming, and an ongoing commitment to new music through championing numerous world premieres and commissions. His leadership has also included international touring, most recently around Japan, and has released six albums with the orchestra. In the 2025/26 season, his fifth as Chief Conductor, he leads major works including Mahler’s Ninth Symphony, Bruckner’s Sixth Symphony, and a concert performance of Dvořák’s Rusalka.
Alongside his work in Liverpool, Hindoyan appears regularly with leading orchestras across Europe and the United States. He returns this season to the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra, New World Symphony Miami, Orchestre National de Bordeaux Aquitaine, Lyric Opera of Chicago, and Paris Opera. He also makes debuts with the New York Philharmonic, Pittsburgh Symphony, and Zurich Opera.
On the opera stage, Hindoyan has conducted productions at the Metropolitan Opera, Deutsche Staatsoper Berlin, Wiener Staatsoper, Paris Opera, Opéra National de Bordeaux, Teatro Real Madrid, Royal Swedish Opera, Liceu Opera Barcelona, Opéra du Rhin, Royal Opera House Muscat, Lyric Opera of Chicago, and Los Angeles Opera.
Social engagement is a key part of Hindoyan’s artistic identity. In Liverpool, he collaborates closely with the In Harmony programme, part of the UK’s national music education initiative inspired by Venezuela’s El Sistema. Also inspired by El Sistema, Domingo founded the MusicEnsemble initiative in Geneva. His commitment to community and education mirrors his dedication to artistic excellence.
Hindoyan’s discography with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic includes Verismo (released in October 2023), Roberto Sierra celebrating Sierra’s music from the past 25 years (April 2023), Bruckner’s Symphony No. 4 (February 2024), Venezuela! Music from the Americas! (October 2024), and a recording of Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6 and Souvenir de Florence (April 2025).
He continues to lead acclaimed ensembles worldwide, including the Cleveland Orchestra, Houston Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, BBC Symphony Orchestra, New Japan Philharmonic, Czech Philharmonic, and Aarhus Symphony Orchestra. He is a regular guest at international festivals, including the Menuhin Festival Gstaad and Festival Radio France Occitanie Montpellier.
Born in Caracas, Venezuela, Domingo Hindoyan began his career as a violinist in the renowned El Sistema programme and later joined Daniel Barenboim’s West-Eastern Divan Orchestra. He later studied conducting at the Haute École de Musique de Genève under Professor Laurent Gay and served as Barenboim’s first assistant at the Deutsche Staatsoper Berlin from 2013 to 2016.