Opéra de Nice recently announced that conductor Lionel Bringuier has been appointed the company’s new Artist Associate.

Bringuier will return to his hometown following his recent successes with the London Symphony Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and Staatskapelle Dresden to lead the Orchestre Philharmonique de Nice – the orchestra with whom he played his very first solo as a cellist at the tender age of thirteen.

According to the press release, Lionel’s appointment “has been made in a new venture to extend Opéra de Nice’s international reach,” and the new season’s programming and featured soloists will reflect that initiative. He will lead five concerts during the 2019-20 season featuring the works of Dukas, Stravinsky, Brahms, Ravel, and Shostakovich, and will work alongside renowned musicians including violinist Renaud Capuçon and pianists Hélène Grimaud and Nicolas Bringuier (his brother).

Christian Estrosi, Mayor of Nice and President of the Nice Côte d’Azur Metropolis, says of the new appointment: “We invited Lionel to come and work in our city so that he can immerse himself in the potential of our orchestra, to work closely with them and go beyond the expectations of our audience. This collaboration is part of a general context of the revitalization of the Opera, showing openness to the International scene and encouraging the prospect of new partnerships and co-productions at the best national and international level. This decision is part of an overall approach to increase the Opera’s influence nationally and internationally, and we’ll be opening 4 competitions to recruit for musicians so that our productions radiate more widely. We’re working together with the Ministry on this project, which will be the priority of the future Director General from 2020-2021 who I hope we’ll soon be able to announce.”