Rafael Payare’s prodigious musicianship, technical brilliance and charismatic presence on the podium have made him one of the world’s most sought-after conductors. Born in 1980 and a graduate of the celebrated El Sistema music education program in Venezuela, Mr. Payare began his formal conducting studies in 2004 with José Antonio Abreu. Since winning the prestigious Malko International Competition for Young Conductors in Denmark in 2012, Maestro Payare’s career has advanced rapidly. Since 2015, he has served as Principal Conductor of the Castleton Festival, founded by his mentor the late Lorin Maazel. He was Chief Conductor of the Uster Orchestra from 2014 to 2019 and in 2019, took up the position of Music Director of the San Diego Symphony. In recent years, Rafael Payare has conducted many of the world’s most prestigious symphony orchestras, in Berlin, Vienna, London, Munich, Chicago and Paris, among others. Beginning in the 2022-2023 season, he becomes the ninth Music Director in the history of the OSM.

Through elegant musicality and an insightful approach to contemporary and established repertoire, Jean-Yves Thibaudet has earned a reputation as one of the world’s finest pianists. He is especially known for his diverse interests beyond the classical world, including numerous collaborations in film, fashion, and visual art. Thibaudet’s recent recordings include Night after Night, a collection of James Newton Howard’s scores for the films of M. Night Shyamalan; Beethoven’s complete violin sonatas, recorded with Midori; and Carte Blanche, a collection of deeply personal solo pieces never before recorded by the pianist. Other recording highlights include the complete solo piano music of Debussy, Satie and Ravel. In addition to his orchestral dates this season, Thibaudet continues his multi-season focus on Debussy’s Préludes, presenting both books in their entirety in recitals throughout Europe. With Michael Feinstein, he continues the acclaimed program Two Pianos: Who Could Ask for Anything More?, featuring works by Gershwin, Rodgers and others.