Kent Nagano has established an international reputation as one of the most insightful and visionary interpreters of both the operatic and symphonic repertoire. He was Music Director of the OSM from 2006 to 2020 and was appointed Conductor Emeritus in 2021. Maestro Nagano was General Music Director of the Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich from 2006 to 2013. He became Principal Guest Conductor and Artistic Advisor of the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra in 2013. Since 2015, he has been General Music Director and Principal Conductor of the Hamburg State Opera and Philharmonic Orchestra. Born in California, Kent Nagano spent his early professional years in Boston, working in the opera house and as Assistant Conductor to Seiji Ozawa at the Boston Symphony Orchestra. He was Music Director of the Opéra national de Lyon (1988-1998), Music Director of the Hallé Orchestra (1991-2000), Associate Principal Guest Conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra (1990-1998) and Artistic Director and Chief Conductor of the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin (2000-2006) and remains their Honorary Conductor. Kent Nagano was also the first Music Director of the Los Angeles Opera (2003-2006).As a highly sought-after guest conductor, Staatskapelle Dresden and Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra Among other awards, he has won two Grammys for his recordings of Kaija Saariaho’s L’amour de loin with the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester and for Busoni’s Doktor Faust, recorded with the Opéra national de Lyon. Maestro Nagano was named Commander of the Ordre de Montréal, Grand Officer of the Ordre national du Québec, Companion of the Ordre des arts et des lettres du Québec, as well as being decorated with the Governor General’s Meritorious Service Medal.

Andrew Wan was named Concertmaster of the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal (OSM) in 2008. As a soloist, he has performed throughout the world under the direction such conductors as Vengerov, Petrenko, Labadie, Rizzi, Oundjian, Stern, and DePreist, among others, and has given concerts with many artists, including the Juilliard String Quartet, Repin, Hamelin, Trifonov, Pressler, Widmann, Ax, Ehnes, and Shaham. His recordings with the Seattle Chamber Music Society, the Metropolis Ensemble, and the New Orford String Quartet have variously received Grammy nominations and Juno Awards. In the fall of 2015, his critically acclaimed album featuring three violin concertos by Saint-Saëns, recorded live in concert with the OSM and Kent Nagano earned him an Opus Award, in addition to being nominated by the ADISQ. Mr. Wan holds three degrees from the Juilliard School and is currently Assistant Professor of Violin at the Schulich School of Music of McGill University, Artistic Director of the OSM Chamber Soloists, and Artistic Partner of the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra. Andrew Wan plays a Michel’Angelo Bergonzi violin (1744), on generous loan from the David Sela collection, for which he extends his warmest thanks.