At 33, François López-Ferrer has checked all the career-preparation boxes and seems primed for his first music directorship. “I hope so,” he said. “That’s the natural next step, and I’m really excited for whatever possibilities may come.”
The Spanish-American conductor has won several honors, including a career assistance award from the Solti Foundation U.S., and the inaugural 2015 Neeme Järvi Prize at the Gstaad Menuhin Festival in Saanen, Switzerland. In addition, he served as associate conductor of the Cincinnati Symphony in 2019-22 and was a Dudamel Fellow at the Los Angeles Philharmonic in 2021-22, gaining valuable experience along way.
As he waits for his next leadership position to materialize, López-Ferrer is managing to keep plenty busy. He serves as resident conductor of the Académie of the Opéra de Paris, where one of his chief duties is being ready to step in at the last moment if a scheduled conductor at the famed company falls ill or can’t perform for whatever reason.