Jean-François Verdier
Music Director of the Orchestre Victor Hugo Franche-Comté
Known as one of the most brilliant and versatile artists of his generation, Jean-François Verdier leads a career as one of the most sought after French conductors as well as being an international soloist and Principal Clarinetist at the Paris National Opera Orchestra.
Having been mentored by Armin Jordan and Kent Nagano his career was launched on winning the Prix Bruno Walter at the Lugano International Conducting Competition and he quickly went on to be Associate Conductor at the Dijon Auditorium and Conductor in Residence at the Orchestre National de Lyon. Since then he is invited by the most prestigious international opera companies and orchestras. Following the huge success of his debut with the Opera National de Paris with Werther in 2009 he has been re-invited to conduct both opera and ballet productions
He has recorded many acclaimed CDs with the Orchestre Victor Hugo Franche-Comté.
Committed to music education and the development of new audiences, he has also written and recorded music, published by Billaudot, for stories performed all over France.
As a clarinetist, Jean-François Verdier has played under the batons of the world’s greatest conductions Leonard Bernstein, Seiji Ozawa, Pierre Boulez, Valery Gergiev, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Riccardo Muti... and alongside partners including Barbara Bonney, Pierre Laurent Aimard, Emmanuel Pahud, the Debussy Quartet, Paul Meyer, Jonathan Gilad and many others. He also played as guest principal clarinet with Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra.
Since 2001 Jean-François Verdier has been professor of clarinet at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris. He is regularly invited to give master-classes by the leading conservatories in Europe, Japan and China. He serves also as permanent jury's member of the Besançon International Conducting Competition
Jean-François Verdier was named Chevalier des Arts et Lettres by the French government in 2012.