Rafael Payare
conductor
About this Artist
Rafael Payare’s innate musicianship, technical brilliance and charismatic energy on the podium has elevated him as one of the most sought-after conductors. The 2024-25 season marks Rafael Payare’s third season as Music Director of Orchestre symphonique de Montréal and his fifth as Music Director of California’s San Diego Symphony with whom his relationship has been recognised as one of the most dynamic in North America.
Payare was previously Principal Conductor and Music Director of the Ulster Orchestra from 2014 – 2019 with whom he appeared twice at the BBC Proms in 2016 and 2019. He now holds the title of Conductor Laureate in recognition of the vast artistic contribution he gave to the Orchestra and City of Belfast during his five-year tenure.
With his gift for communication and irresistibly joyous spirit, Rafael works with the world’s leading orchestras including the Wiener Philharmoniker, Chicago Symphony, Munchner Philharmoniker, Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Berlin Staatskapelle, Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich, London Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra of Europe and the Cleveland Orchestra. Soloists with whom he has enjoyed collaborations include Daniil Trifonov, Frank Peter Zimmerman, Vilde Frang, Hilary Hahn, Maria Joao Pires, Gil Shaham, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Alisa Weilerstein, Piotr Anderszewski, Sergey Khachatryan, Emmanuel Ax, Yefim Bronfman, and Dorothea Röschmann. Highlights of the current season include a major European tour with the Orchestre symphonique de Montreal and return visits to the Philadelphia Orchestra, New York Philharmonic and Royal Opera House, Covent Garden to conduct Turandot.
As an opera conductor, Payare has conducted titles at Glyndebourne Festival, the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Staatsoper Berlin, Royal Stockholm Opera and Royal Danish Opera. In July 2012, he was personally invited by his mentor, the late Lorin Maazel, to conduct at his Castleton Festival in Virginia and in July 2015 he was appointed Principal Conductor and conducted performances of Gounod 'Romeo and Juliette’ and a performance of Beethoven Symphony No 9 in memory of Lorin Maazel.
An inspiration to young musicians, Payare has forged a close relationship with the Royal College of Music in London where he visits every season to lead their Symphony Orchestra and has led projects with the Chicago Civic Orchestra, Orchestra of the Americas, and the Filarmonica Joven de Colombia.
Born in 1980 and a graduate of the celebrated El Sistema in Venezuela, Payare began his formal conducting studies in 2004 with José Antonio Abreu. He has conducted all the major orchestras including the Simón Bolívar Orchestra. Having also served as Principal Horn of the Simon Bolivar Orchestra, he took part in many prestigious tours and recordings with conductors including Giuseppe Sinopoli, Claudio Abbado, Sir Simon Rattle and Lorin Maazel.
In May 2012, Payare was awarded first prize at the Malko International Conducting Competition.