Rafael Payare has been named as the new Music Director of the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal. The Venezuelan conductor will take up the post with the 2022-23 season, though from September this year will assume the title Music Director Designate. He succeeds Kent Nagano, who was Music Director from 2006 until 2020, to become the ninth person to hold the post.

Payare made his debut with the orchestra in 2018, and the rapport he’s developed with them made him the unanimous choice of the 11-member selection committee. Viewers keen to see that rapport in action don’t have long to wait - as Artist-in-Residence for the current season, Payare will conduct three OSM concerts to be webcast in the coming weeks, the first of which is this Sunday, January 10, at 19.30 (UK time), featuring Berlioz' Roman Carnival and Brahms’ Symphony No 1, and available to watch for free at OSM.ca and Medici.tv.

Payare, 40, is a graduate of the El Sistema music education programme - initially trained as a French horn player, he began conducting studies in 2004, winning the Malko International Competition for Young Conductors in 2012. From 2014-19 he served as Music Director of the Ulster Orchestra, and from 2019 has been Music Director of the San Diego Symphony, as well as, since 2015, Principal Conductor of the Castleton Festival, founded by his mentor Lorin Maazel.

‘It’s an immense honour and a pleasure to have been chosen as the next Music Director of the fantastic Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal,’ said Payare. 'To be given the opportunity to work, create and explore new musical possibilities with the wonderful group of artists that is the OSM, is a hugely exciting prospect. It is my heartfelt wish that, in close synergy with the musicians, we can give the OSM’s audience many moments of joy, pride and hope.’