Recently named conductor emeritus of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO) and principal conductor of the Colorado Symphony, Peter Oundjian has been hailed as a masterful and dynamic presence in the conducting world. Oundjian has developed a multi-faceted portfolio as a conductor, violinist, professor, and artistic advisor. He has been celebrated for his musicality, eye toward collaboration, innovative programming, and engaging personality.
Oundjian’s 14-year tenure as music director of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra was marked by a reimagining of the TSO’s programming, international stature, audience development, touring, and a number of outstanding recordings. Credited for his long association with the orchestra, Oundjian helped establish the TSO as one of the world’s top ensembles and served as a major creative force for the city of Toronto. Oundjian lead the orchestra on several international tours, to Europe and the USA, and he conducted the first performance by a North American orchestra at Reykjavik’s Harpa Hall in 2014. Oundjian and the TSO’s recording of Vaughan Williams’ Orchestral Works won a JUNO Award for Best Classical Album: Large Ensemble in 2019.
From 2012-2018, Oundjian served as music director of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, during which time he implemented the kind of collaborative programming that has become a staple of his directorship. Oundjian led the RSNO on several international tours, including North America, China, and a European festival tour with performances at the Bregenz Festival, the Dresden Festival as well as in Innsbruck, Bergamo, Ljubljana, and others. His final appearance with the orchestra as their music director was at the 2018 BBC Proms where he conducted Britten’s epic “War Requiem.”
Highlights of past seasons include appearances with the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, the Detroit, Atlanta, Saint Louis, Baltimore, Indianapolis, and New Zealand Symphony Orchestras, with visits to Cincinnati and Milwaukee planned for winter 2020. In January 2019 he transitioned from artistic advisor to music director for the Colorado Music Festival, commencing a five-year tenure.
Oundjian has been a visiting professor at Yale University’s School of Music since 1981, and in 2013 was awarded the school’s Sanford Medal for Distinguished Service to Music. A dedicated educator, Oundjian conducted the Yale and Juilliard Symphony Orchestras and the New World Symphony during the 18/19 season.
An outstanding violinist, Oundjian spent 14 years as the first violinist for the renowned Tokyo String Quartet before he turned his energy toward conducting.
Read Peter’s Blog Posts:
- Becoming a Boulderite
- Peter Oundjian discusses this season’s Beethoven theme
- The Nostalgia and Excitement of a Summer Music Festival
- My Life in the Tokyo String Quartet
- My Path to the Podium
- Final Resonance: Reflections on a Summer of Joy
- Growing Up With Beethoven
- Behind the Scenes of Beethoven Opus 131 (arr. Peter Oundjian)
Watch Interviews with Peter:
- Susan Witkin of Front Range Focus Interviews Peter Oundjian
- Music Director Peter Oundjian Interviews the Takács Quartet
- Beethoven for a Later Age: Peter Oundjian Interviews Edward Dusinberre
- Peter Oundjian: Updates on the 2021 Festival
- Music Director Peter Oundjian Interviews Principal Trombone Donna Parkes
- Peter Oundjian Interviews the Ivalas Quartet
- Interview with Composer Wang Jie
