FABULOUSLY FRENCH! The Ohio Valley Symphony

September 7, 2024
at 7:30 p.m.
TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW!

Coming to us straight from the Hollywood Bowl, François López-Ferrer returns to the podium for a Fabulously French program featuring the Cincinnati Symphony’s principal clarinetist Christopher Pell. Chris is performing the seldom heard and absolutely delightful Clarinet Concerto by Jean Francaix and the orchestra presents Ravel’s Ma Mere L’Oye (Mother Goose Suite) along with other selections.

François López-Ferrer, conductor
Spanish-American conductor François López-Ferrer currently serves as Resident Conductor of the Académie of the Opéra de Paris. Former Associate Conductor of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra (CSO) and May Festival, and a 2021-22’ Dudamel Fellow with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, López-Ferrer stepped in for Louis Langrée with the CSO in January of 2022 for the US premiere of Mark Simpson’s Violin Concerto with Nicola Benedetti to great critical acclaim.

This season López-Ferrer has made brilliant debuts with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Hong Kong Philharmonic, Orquesta Nacional de España, Ensemble Intercontemporain, Opéra de Lausanne, Orquesta deValencia, Orquesta Sinfónica de Galicia, Orquesta Sinfónica Radio Televisión Española, Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Omaha Symphony, Sacramento Philharmonic, and Pasadena Symphony, and was featured in the 2022 Bruno Walter National Conductor Preview with Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra. He previously served as Associate Conductor of the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Chile and Principal Conductor of the Ballet Nacional Chileno.

Upcoming highlights include debuts with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Colorado Music Festival, Colorado Springs Philharmonic, and Tucson Symphony, as well as return engagements to the Orquesta Sinfónica Radio Televisión Española, Pasadena Symphony, Orchestra di Padova e del Veneto, and Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Chile.

An inaugural apprentice of the Verbier Festival’s 2018 Conductor Mentorship Program, López-Ferrer made a last-minute critically-acclaimed debut with the Verbier Festival Orchestra jumping in for Iván Fischer in a shared program with Sir Simon Rattle and Gábor Takács-Nagy. He was recipient of a Career Assistance Award from the Solti Foundation U.S., winner of the inaugural 2015 Neeme Järvi Prize awarded at the Menuhin-Gstaad Festival, and a previous member of the Deutsche Dirigentenforum.

López-Ferrer holds a master’s degree in Orchestral Conducting from the Haute École de Musique de Lausanne and a bachelor’s in Composition from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.

Christoper Pell, clarinet
Christopher Pell is the Principal Clarinetist of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, the Second Clarinetist of The Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra, and the former Principal Clarinetist of The Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra. Christopher has performed with The Toronto Symphony, The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, The Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, The Knights, The Orquesta Sinfónica de Minería (Mexico City), The Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra, The Mainly Mozart Festival Orchestra, and The American Ballet Theatre. He appeared as a soloist with The Cincinnati Symphony, The Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, The Park Avenue Chamber Symphony, The U.S. Army Band at Lincoln Center’s Avery Fischer Hall, and The Long Island Sound Symphony. He has also won first prize in the Vandoren Emerging Artists Competition.

As a chamber musician, Christopher often performs with the Linton Chamber Music Series and has performed with Concert Nova, the Cape Cod Chamber Music Festival, Twickenham Fest, Lyrica Baroque, The Orlando Chamber Soloists, the Luzerne Chamber Music Festival, NOLA 360, and the Lake George Music Festival. Also, he has givenrecitals and masterclasses at The University of Miami (OH) and the University of South Carolina. Christopher teaches at the University of Cincinnati’s College Conservatory of Music, has taught at the Interlochen Arts Camp and the University of New Orleans. Christopher graduated from The Juilliard School in 2013 and has twice been a fellow at the Tanglewood Music Center. Christopher is a performing artist for Yamaha and Vandoren and is also a board member for Lyrica Baroque.