Chorus Master • Conductor • Artistic Visionary
Internationally acclaimed for her precision, artistry, and bold programming, Valérie Sainte-Agathe has emerged as one of today’s most compelling chorus masters and conductors. Celebrated for her interpretive depth and creative leadership across symphonic, operatic, and contemporary repertoire, she brings an exceptional blend of musicianship, vision, and collaborative expertise to every ensemble she leads.
Since 2022, Sainte-Agathe has served as Chorale Director of Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra & Chorale, preparing the professional ensemble for conductors Richard Egarr, John Butt, Ruben Valenzuela, Nicholas McGegan, and Peter Whelan. In December 2025, she will make her conducting debut with the orchestra in a landmark program featuring Vivaldi’s Gloria, the world premiere of Roderick Williams’s Quem Pastores Laudevere, and the U.S. premiere of Caroline Shaw’s The Holdfast—a reflection of her artistry at the intersection of historical performance and contemporary innovation.
Sainte-Agathe has been invited by the San Francisco Symphony to prepare the Nänie, Gesang der Partzen, Schicksalslied by Brahms under Maestra Nathalie Stutzmann, and will collaborate with the New Century Chamber Orchestra, commissioning and conducting new works by Nico Muhly and David Conte. Her recent guest conducting engagements include Volti, the GRAMMY Award–winning Kronos Quartet, and the Philip Glass Ensemble, with appearances at Carnegie Hall, the Barbican Centre, Lincoln Center, and the Kennedy Center.
As Artistic Director of the San Francisco Girls Chorus since 2013, Sainte-Agathe has transformed the organization into an internationally recognized center for choral excellence and innovation. Her leadership has earned the Chorus America/ASCAP Award for Adventurous Programming, and she has commissioned more than thirty new works from leading composers including Pamela Z, Susie Ibarra, Fred Frith, Angélica Negrón, Christopher Tin, and Ayanna Woods. Under her baton, SFGC has collaborated with the San Francisco Symphony, San Francisco Opera, Chanticleer, Opera Parallèle, and The Knights, while maintaining a strong global touring and recording presence.
A passionate champion of new music, Sainte-Agathe conducted the world premiere of Michael Abels’s At War With Ourselves – 400 Years of You with the Kronos Quartet, a groundbreaking work exploring race and identity in America featuring Tonality, Inversion, and Phoenix Chorale. Her recent international engagements include the world premiere of Thierry Pécou’s Ô Future at the Théâtre de Caen, broadcast worldwide.
Her discography includes Final Answer (2018) and My Outstretched Hand (2019), as well as a GRAMMY-nominated collaboration on Aoife O’Donovan’s All My Friends. Earlier in her career, Sainte-Agathe served as Music Director of Opéra Junior and Artistic Coordinator for Opéra National de Montpellier, conducting choruses for the Orchestre National de Montpellier , Festival Presence and Radio France Festival, and earning multiple French recording honors, including Victoires de la Musique and Orphée d’Or awards.
Sainte-Agathe holds a Diplôme d’Études Musicales and advanced studies from the Montpellier Conservatory in piano and chamber music, a Master’s in Cultural Project Management, and a Bachelor’s in Musicology, conducting. In 2024, she was named Chevalière des Arts et des Lettres by the French Minister of Culture, recognizing her exceptional contributions to the arts in France and abroad.
A conductor of elegance, discipline, and daring imagination, Valérie Sainte-Agathe stands at the forefront of 21st-century choral artistry—celebrated for her ability to inspire singers, engage audiences, and elevate the symphonic choral tradition to new heights.