Spanish-American conductor François López-Ferrer, currently serving as Resident Conductor of the Opéra de Paris Académie, boasts a remarkable career trajectory. Formerly Associate Conductor of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra (CSO) and May Festival, López-Ferrer's talent was further honed during his tenure as a 2021-22 Dudamel Fellow with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. He captivated audiences and critics alike in January 2022 when he stepped in for Louis Langrée with the CSO for the U.S. premiere of Mark Simpson’s Violin Concerto featuring Nicola Benedetti.
His recent career highlights are a testament to his talent, marked by outstanding debuts with prestigious orchestras worldwide, including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Hong Kong Philharmonic, Orquesta Nacional de España, Ensemble intercontemporain, Opéra de Lausanne, Colorado Music Festival, Orquesta de Valencia, Orquesta Sinfónica de Galicia, Orquesta Sinfónica Radio Televisión Española, Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Omaha Symphony, Sacramento Philharmonic, Orchestra di Padova e del Veneto and the Pasadena Symphony. Moreover, he was a featured conductor in the prestigious 2022 Bruno Walter National Conductor Preview with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra.
Upcoming engagements include debuts with the Hollywood Bowl, May Festival, George Enescu Philharmonic, Colorado Springs Philharmonic, Tucson Symphony and the San Antonio Classical Music Institute, along with a highly anticipated return to the Pasadena Symphony.
López-Ferrer was formerly Associate Conductor of the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Chile and Principal Conductor of the Ballet Nacional Chileno. His musical journey commenced as an inaugural apprentice of the Verbier Festival’s 2018 Conductor Mentorship Program, where he made a last-minute, critically acclaimed debut stepping in for Iván Fischer in a shared program alongside luminaries Sir Simon Rattle and Gábor Takács-Nagy. He is a two-time recipient of a Career Assistance Award from the Solti Foundation U.S., winner of the inaugural 2015 Neeme Järvi Prize at the Menuhin-Gstaad Festival and a former member of the Deutsche Dirigenten Forum.
López-Ferrer's educational background includes a master’s degree in orchestral conducting from the Haute École de Musique de Lausanne and a bachelor’s degree in composition from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.