Biography
Spanish-American conductor François López-Ferrer has carved an impressive path in the world of classical music. Recipient of the prestigious 2024 Sir Georg Solti Conducting Award, his international career has been marked by leading esteemed orchestras such as the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl, Hong Kong Philharmonic, Orchestra Sinfonica G.
Rossini at the Rossini Opera Festival, Houston Symphony, Detroit Symphony, Utah Symphony, Orquesta Nacional de España, Orquesta Sinfónica de Puerto Rico, Orquesta Sinfónica de Galicia, Orquesta Sinfónica Radio Televisión Española, Ensemble Intercontemporain, Opéra de Lausanne, George Enescu Philharmonic, Verbier Festival Orchestra, and Opéra National de Paris.
He has collaborated with renowned soloists such as Pekka Kuusisto, Boris Giltburg, Pablo Sáinz-Villegas, Karen Gomyo, Paul Huang, Geneva Lewis, Clara-Jumi Kang, and Pepe Romero. Critics have been enthusiastic: Bachtrack praised López-Ferrer’s “richly expressive sound, always rendered with clarity and precision,” while Beckmesser magazine described him as an “elegant and authoritative” figure whose gestures “are contagious, commanding the listener’s attention.” SF Classical Voice highlighted López-Ferrer’s “attentiveness as a conductor, moving briskly across the sections of the orchestra to ensure that practically every note from every musician played its role in the design.”
Upcoming engagements include debuts at the Teatro Real in a production of Verdi’s Il Trovatore, and with the Symphonieorchester der Volksoper Wien, Orquesta Sinfónica de Bilbao, Biel Solothurn Symphony Orchestra, and Opera San Antonio leading Rossini’s The Barber of Seville, as well as returns to the Basque National Orchestra, Omaha Symphony, Rochester Philharmonic, Orchestra di Padova e del Veneto, Symphony San Jose, and the Orchestre Internationale de Genève.
López-Ferrer brought forth a richly characterful sound, always with clarity and precision. [...] A perfect conclusion to a night filled with memorable moments
Pablo Sánchez-Quinteira | BACHTRACK
López-Ferrer’s journey began as Associate Conductor of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra (CSO) and its May Festival. In 2022, he led the CSO in the U.S. premiere of Mark Simpson’s Violin Concerto, featuring Nicola Benedetti. He was a 2021-22 Dudamel Fellow with the LA Phil and was a featured conductor in the Bruno Walter National Conductor Preview with the Louisiana Philharmonic. Earlier in his career, he served as Associate Conductor of the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Chile as well as Resident Conductor of the Opéra de Paris Académie.
Winner of the inaugural 2015 Neeme Järvi Prize at the Menuhin Gstaad Festival and a former member of the Deutsche Dirigentenforum, his educational background includes a master’s degree in Orchestral Conducting from the Haute École de Musique de Lausanne and a bachelor’s in composition from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. Born in Switzerland and raised in the United States, François López-Ferrer combines Cuban and Spanish heritage.