Alain Lombard

Classical music conductor Alain Lombard was born in Paris, France on October 4, 1940. He began his musical journey at the age of seven when he began studying the violin and piano. At the age of nine, he attended the Conservatoire de Paris, where he was enrolled in an orchestra conducting class taught by French violinist/conductor Gaston Poulet. Alain Lombard conducted his first orchestra – the Orchester Pasdeloup- at the age of 11. He became principal conductor at the Opéra National de Lyon from 1961 until 1965. After winning the gold medal at the Dmitri Mitropoulos Competition at Carnegie Hall in 1966, he made his debut at New York’s Metropolitan Opera the following year. From 1967 until 1975, Alain Lombard served as the music director for the Greater Miami Philharmonic Orchestra. In 1972, he was one of the founders of the Opéra du Rhin, now known as the Opéra National du Rhin and became their music director from 1974 until 1980. He was also appointed as music director of the Strasbourg Philharmonic Orchestra from 1972 to 1983. Alain Lombard also worked with the Paris Opéra, the Orchestre National Bordeaux Aquitaine, the Opéra-Comique, the Opéra National de Bordeaux, and others. In 1990, he became music director of the Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux. However, he was ousted from the position in 1995 when questions arose about the organization’s finances. He later became the principal conductor for the Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana from 1999 until 2005. Over the course of his career, he worked with many of opera’s greatest voices including Montserrat Caballé, Placido Domingo, José Carreras, Margaret Price, and many others. His recording career spans several decades and includes titles such as Le Baron Tzigane (Extraits) (1963), Romeo Et Juliette (1969), Symphonie Fantastique (1974), La Belle Hélène (1978), Così Fan Tutte (2001), and Beethoven - Les Neuf Symphonies (2021).

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