I IFFCC Jury Member
Four-time GRAMMY® Award-nominated conductor Constantine Orbelian has been hailed by Opera News as ‘the singer’s dream collaborator,’ celebrated for his pianist-like sensitivity to vocal repertoire.
Born in San Francisco to Russian and Armenian immigrants, Orbelian debuted as a piano prodigy with the San Francisco Symphony at age 11.
After graduating from The Juilliard School in New York, he enjoyed a successful career as a piano virtuoso, performing with major orchestras worldwide. In 2001, he was honoured with the Ellis Island Medal of Honor for his outstanding contributions to the United States.
In June 2021, Orbelian was named music director and principal conductor of New York City Opera. He has toured and recorded with some of the world-renowned singers such as Renée Fleming, Sondra Radvanovsky, Lawrence Brownlee, and Dmitri Hvorostovsky.
He guest-conducted in Central and South America with the Orquesta Filarmónica de Buenos Aires alongside mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard, and in the past year he has collaborated with Daniil Trifonov, Elina Garanča, Asmik Grigorian, and Renée Fleming.
Marking a decade as chief conductor of Lithuania’s Kaunas City Symphony Orchestra, Orbelian’s career also includes serving as artistic director of the State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater in Yerevan, Director of the Moscow Chamber Orchestra and the Philharmonia of Russia, and founding the annual Palaces of St. Petersburg International Music Festival.
In November 2022, he led the world premiere of Lera Auerbach’s Symphony No. 6, Vessels of Light, with the Kaunas City Symphony Orchestra, which later received the Golden Disc Award for its exceptional artistry and intensive concert activity.
In 2023, he returned for a second season with the Festival Orchestra Napa at Festival Napa Valley, and his concert and televised appearances feature collaborations with Hvorostovsky, Anna Netrebko, and Van Cliburn, including the celebrated farewell performance of the latter.
This year, Orbelian was also a member of the jury of the I international ferenc fricsay conducting competition.
The Audio Critic praised his extensive Delos recordings: over 60 acclaimed releases, including some of Hvorostovsky’s most treasured performances, and remarked: Orbelian has star quality, and his orchestra plays with passion and precision.
