Guest ArtistsJoshua Weilerstein, conductor

Joshua Weilerstein is Artistic Director of the Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne and begins his tenure with the orchestra in the 2015-16 season. With a repertoire ranging from Gesualdo to Rouse, he is committed to bringing new audiences into the concert hall and creating a natural dialogue between musicians and their public. His deep natural musicianship and unforced manner earn him re-invitations at every turn.

In 2015-16 Mr. Weilerstein will make his debut with the Philharmonia, Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, SWR Stuttgart and Lahti Symphony Orchestra, and will make his Barbican debut when he returns to the BBC Symphony Orchestra. He will also return to the Deutsche Radio Philharmonie, Oslo Philharmonic, Danish National Symphony Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra and Orchestre National de Lyon. With the Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne, Weilerstein will tour Germany, performing in Bremen, Hamburg, Hannover and Düsseldorf. In North America, Mr. Weilerstein will conduct the Baltimore Symphony, San Diego Symphony Orchestra, Milwaukee Symphony and Vancouver Symphony.

Born into a musical family, Mr. Weilerstein’s career developed quickly after winning both the First Prize and the Audience Prize at the Malko Competition for Young Conductors in Copenhagen. He has established strong relationships with the Danish National Symphony Orchestra, Stockholm Philharmonic, Oslo Philharmonic, Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra and Swedish Chamber Orchestra. He has also conducted the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, and he has been re-invited to the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France.

Mr. Weilerstein feels that it is essential to have an open communication between the stage and audience. He believes passionately in the relevance of traditional repertoire and is equally passionate about the innovation of contemporary composers. He is committed to presenting, whenever possible, at least one piece by a living composer as a complement to more traditional repertoire.

Mr. Weilerstein cherishes the value of music education wherever the opportunity arises, He was heavily involved in Young People’s Concerts during his time as the Assistant Conductor with the New York Philharmonic, and also served as Concertmaster of Discovery Ensemble, a Boston-based chamber orchestra dedicated to presenting classical music to inner-city schools in Boston. With the Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne, Mr. Weilerstein will conduct educational and Discovery concerts for children and families.

Joshua Weilerstein is always excited to hear from musicians and audiences alike. He is accessible on social media for conversation about the future of classical music, programming and the concert-going experience.