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About
Captivating audiences throughout the world, Charles Dutoit is one of today’s most sought-after conductors, having performed with all the major orchestras on most stages of the five continents.
Presently Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the London Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, he recently celebrated his 30-year artistic collaboration with the Philadelphia Orchestra, who in turn, bestowed upon him the title of Conductor Laureate. He collaborates every season with the orchestras of Chicago, Boston, San Francisco, New York and Los Angeles and is also a regular guest on the stages in London, Berlin, Paris, Munich, Moscow, Sydney, Beijing, Hong Kong, and Shanghai, amongst others.
His more than 200 recordings for Decca, Deutsche Grammophone, EMI, Philips and Erato have garnered multiple awards and distinctions including two Grammys.
For 25 years, Charles Dutoit was Artistic Director of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, a dynamic musical team recognised the world over.
From 1991 to 2001, he was Music Director of the Orchestre National de France and in 1996, was appointed Principal Conductor and soon thereafter, Music Director of the NHK Symphony Orchestra (Tokyo). He is today Music Director Emeritus of this Orchestra. He was for 10 years Music Director of the Philadelphia Orchestra’s season at the Mann Music Center and for 21 years, at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center.
Charles Dutoit’s interest in the younger generation has always held an important place in his career and he has successively been Music Director of the Sapporo Pacific Music Festival and Miyazaki International Music Festival in Japan as well as the Canton International Summer Music Academy in Guangzhou. In 2009, he became Music Director of the Verbier Festival Orchestra.
When still in his early 20’s, Charles Dutoit was invited by Von Karajan to conduct the Vienna State Opera. He has since conducted at Covent Garden, the Metropolitan Opera in New York, Deutsche Oper in Berlin, the Rome Opera and Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires. In 1991, he was made Honorary Citizen of the City of Philadelphia, in 1995, Grand Officier de l’Ordre national du Québec, in 1996, Commandeur de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the government of France and in 1998, he was invested as Honorary Officer of the Order of Canada.
In 2007, he received the Gold Medal of the city of Lausanne, his birthplace and in 2014, he was given the Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Classical Music Awards.
He holds Honorary Doctorates from the Universities of McGill, Montreal, Laval and the Curtis School of Music. A globetrotter motivated by his passion for history and archaeology, political science, art and architecture, he has traveled in all 196 nations of the world.