Christian Vasquez

Conductor

Christian Vásquez became Chief Conductor of the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra at the beginning of the 2013-14 season, inaugurating the start of an initial four-year term with Mahler Symphony No. 2 in the orchestra’s new hall in August 2013. The 2015-16 season saw him become the Principal Guest Conductor of the Het Gelders Orkest, starting his tenure with a tour of the Netherlands featuring an all-Latin programme. He is also Music Director of the Teresa Carreño Youth Orchestra of Venezuela, most recently leading them on a tour of Europe which saw them perform in London, Lisbon, Toulouse, Munich, Stockholm and Istanbul.

Following his debut with the Gävle Symfoniorkester in October 2009, one of his first appearances in Europe, Christian was appointed Principal Guest Conductor (2010-13). He has worked with the Philharmonia Orchestra, Residentie Orkest, the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Vienna Radio Symphony, Camerata Salzburg, State Symphony of Russia, Tokyo Philharmonic and Singapore Symphony. In North America, he has conducted the National Arts Centre Orchestra (Ottawa) and Los Angeles Philharmonic, the latter during his participation in their Young Artist Fellowship programme.

Christian’s 2013-14 season included projects with the Royal Northern Sinfonia, Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse, Galicia Symphony, Berlin Konzerthausorchester, Prague Radio Symphony, Warsaw Beethoven Festival and Turku Philharmonic. 2014-15 saw Christian’s first opera engagement in Europe at the Norwegian Opera for Carmen as well as returns to the Arnhem Philharmonic, Helsinki Philharmonic, and Turku Philharmonic. Highlights of the 2015/16 season included projects with the Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg, the Prague Radio Symphony, and Poznan Philharmonic.

In addition to his regular commitments in Stavanger and Arnhem, 2016-17 sees Christian make his debut with the Rotterdam Philharmonic and with the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra. He will also reunite with the Turku Philharmonic, Helsinki Philharmonic and collaborate with the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra.

Born in Caracas, Christian joined the San Sebastian de los Reyes Symphony Orchestra as a violinist at the age of nine. He began conducting studies under the tutelage of José Antonio Abreu in 2006 and was appointed Music Director of the Aragua Juvenile Symphony Orchestra Jose Felix Ribas soon after.