Jean-Marie Zeitouni is recognized as one of the brightest conductors of his generation for his eloquent yet fiery style, in repertoires ranging from baroque to contemporary. He studied at the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal, most notably under Maestro Raffi Armenian, and graduated in conducting, percussion, and music theory. He is currently principal guest conductor of the Colorado Music Festival (where he served as music director from 2014 to 2018) and Artistic Partner of the Edmonton Symphony.
Jean-Marie Zeitouni was also artistic director and principal conductor of I Musici de Montréal (2011-2021), music director of the Columbus Symphony (2010-2015) in Ohio, music director of the Opera as Theatre program at the Banff Centre (2005-2007), and assistant conductor and chorus master of the Opéra de Montréal (and music director of its artist-in-residence program, the Atelier lyrique). He was also chorus master of the Orchestre symphonique de Québec and Opéra de Québec and music director of Université Laval’s opera workshop and symphony orchestra. While with the Violons du Roy, an orchestra with which he enjoyed a fruitful collaboration for a dozen years, he was alternately conductor in residence, assistant conductor and principal guest conductor.
Greatly appreciated as a lyrical director, he recently conducted the Opéra national de Montpellier and Orchestre national de Lorraine of Nancy. He has also conducted numerous productions at the Opéra de Montréal, Opéra de Québec, Glimmerglass Opera, Théâtre du Capitole de Toulouse and Opéra national de Lorraine, as well as productions in Banff, Calgary, Edmonton, Cincinnati and St. Louis.
Among the many Canadian symphony orchestras Jean-Marie Zeitouni has conducted are those of Montreal, Toronto, Quebec City, Edmonton, Calgary, Vancouver, Winnipeg, Halifax, Victoria, Kitchener-Waterloo and London, not to mention the National Arts Centre Orchestra, Arion Baroque Orchestra and Club musical de Québec. No stranger to the international stage, Mr. Zeitouni has conducted the symphony orchestras of Tucson, Houston, Oregon, Monterey, San Antonio, Omaha, Honolulu, Huntsville and Cincinnati, in addition to the Handel and Haydn Society of Boston, Pacific Symphony, Seattle Symphony Orchestra, Phoenix Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonique de Marseille, Xalapa Symphony Orchestra, National Symphony of Mexico, Hong Kong Philharmonic, Arco Ensemble and Detroit Symphony. He is also a regular at the Festival international de Lanaudière, Festival international du Domaine Forget, Elora Festival, Parry Sound Festival and New York’s Mostly Mozart Festival. You may also have seen him at festivals in Round Top, Texas, and Grant Park, Illinois. He recently made his debut in Moscow with the Russian National Orchestra and at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées of Paris.
In 2022-2023, Jean-Marie Zeitouni will conduct the Orchestre symphonique du Conservatoire de musique de Montréal as well as the orchestra conducting class.
He will also conduct the Opéra de Québec (Don Giovanni), the Violons du Roy at the Festival international du Domaine Forget and the Festival international de Lanaudière, the National Arts Center Orchestra, the Orchester symphonique de Québec (Carmina Burana), the Opéra de Montréal (Premiere of La beauté du monde) and will return several times to conduct the Orchestre de Trois-Rivières as well as the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra and the Palazzetto Bru Zane and the Orchestre National de Montpellier at the Théatre des Champs-Élysées (Grisélidis), which will be the subject of a CD recording.
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