Ludovic Morlot is quickly establishing an international reputation as one of the leading conductors of his generation.  Currently in his first season as Music Director of the Seattle Symphony, he leads the orchestra in more than a dozen different programs that include Beethoven's Eroica Symphony, Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring, Rachmaninoff's Symphonic Dances, arias of Strauss, Puccini and others in a gala concert with Renée Fleming, and performances of Berlioz's The Damnation of Faust, among other works.  This season he also inaugurates Sonic Evolution, a commissioning project designed by Ludovic to feature new works honoring Seattle's musical heritage; explores the music of French composer Henri Dutilleux and gives the world premiere a piece by Nico Muhly, among other initiatives.

Beginning in January 2012, Ludovic will combine his Seattle Symphony post with another—Chief Conductor of La Monnaie, Brussels's storied opera house.  In 2012-13, his first full season at La Monnaie, programs will include Alfred Bruneau's Requiem as well as Morlot's first performances of Debussy's Pellèas et Mélisande.  During the 2010-11 season, he conducted Poulenc's Les Mamelles de Tirésias at the Opéra National de Lyon and the Opéra Comique in Paris. He has recently collaborated with a number of distinguished singers including Barbara Hannigan, Dawn Upshaw, Jessye Norman and Thomas Hampson.

One notable feature this season is Ludovic's performances with the Boston Symphony Orchestra: two subscription weeks and a west coast tour including performances in Los Angeles and San Francisco. He also has ongoing relationships with the New York Philharmonic and Chicago Symphony Orchestras and has recently conducted the symphony orchestras in Philadelphia, Cleveland and Pittsburgh.

Abroad he makes debuts this season with the Orchestre National de France, the Dresden Philharmonie, the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin and the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra.  Recent successful debuts include the London Philharmonic Orchestra at Royal Festival Hall and on tour in Germany with soloist Anne-Sophie Mutter, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and the Czech Philharmonic.  He has also conducted the Dresden Staatskapelle, the Tonhalle Orchestra, the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, the Budapest Festival Orchestra and the Tokyo Philharmonic, and appears regularly with the Rotterdam Philharmonic and the Ensemble intercontemporain.

Ludovic has maintained a close working relationship with the Boston Symphony Orchestra since 2001 when he was the Seiji Ozawa Fellowship Conductor at the Tanglewood Music Center and subsequently appointed assistant conductor for the orchestra and their Music Director James Levine (2004-07).  He has also served as conductor-in-residence with the Orchestre National de Lyon under David Robertson (2002-04).

Born in Lyon and trained as a violinist, Morlot studied conducting at the Royal Academy of Music in London and then at the Royal College of Music as recipient of the Norman del Mar Conducting Fellowship.  He was elected an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music in 2007 in recognition of his significant contribution to music.

Last updated October 2011. Contact Opus 3 Artists for the most up-to-date version.