Benjamin PIONNIER studied piano, double-bass, singing, clarinet, harmony and counterpoint. After graduating, he improved with famous french pianist Brigitte Engerer in Paris. He performed a lot as pianist and accompanist in Europe.
He studied orchestral conducting in France before entering George Hurst’s conducting classes in Great-Britain. He received a first prize in orchestral conducting with distinction. Laureate of the conducting competitions, he has been then chosen to participate to conducting master-classes across Europe.
Benjamin Pionnier has been assisting many famous conductors, including James Levine at the Metropolitan Opera and Carnegie Hall.
He has recently conducted with many distinctions: L’Enfant et les Sortilèges/ Ravel at the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow, Capriccio / Strauss with the Orchestre National de Lorraine, Carmen/ Bizet at Opera Hong Kong, Shanghai Opera and in Seoul for the 50th Anniversary of the Korea National Opera, Faust/ Gounod in Buenos Aires and Hong Kong, La Fille du Régiment/ Donizetti in Palermo, Hamlet/ Thomas in Moscow, Hänsel und Gretel/ Humperdinck, and L'Elisir d'amore/ Donizetti in Metz, Werther/ Massenet in Buenos Aires, The Merry Widow / Lehar in Avignon, Giselle/ Adam in Palermo, Roméo et Juliette / Gounod, l'Elisir d'amore/ Donizetti and La Traviata / Verdi at the National Slovene Opera in Maribor, Cosi fan Tutte/ Mozart, Il Barbiere di Siviglia/ Rossini, le Nozze di Figaro, Tosca / Puccini.
He has also conducted Parisian Life/ Offenbach in Paris and Nice, Hoffman Tales/ Offenbach in Singapore, Orpheus and Eurydice/ Gluck in Nice and many concerts with European orchestras on a wide repertoire.
He has also conducted Romeo et Juliette/ Gounod at the Tchaikovsky Concert Hall in Moscow for the opening of the French year in Russia.
His future plans include Les Pêcheurs de perles/ Bizet, Tosca/ Puccini, Lakmé/ Delibes, Eugene Oneguine / Tchaikovsky as well as symphonic concerts in Europe, Asia and South America…
He was Artistic Advisor for the Opera de Nice from 2006 to 2010 then Artistic Director and General Music Director of the National Slovene Opera in Maribor, until 2013.
From 2015 to 2020, Benjamin Pionnier was General Director and musical director of the Opera de Tours and the Orchestre Symphonique Région Centre Val de Loire.
His knowledge and command of the operatic and symphonic repertoire are unanimously praised by the orchestras and performers he has conducted.
Benjamin Pionnier has been awarded Chevalier des Arts et Lettres by the French Ministry of Culture.
Biography
Conductor
Benjamin Pionnier
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