François López-Ferrer. Photo/Provided.

"In a very competitive field of applicants, François stood out amongst this year's highly qualified applicants," said Penny Van Horn, the Solti Foundation U.S. Board Chair. "A shining example of hard work, talent and commitment to the field of symphonic and operatic music, I am pleased, on behalf of the Foundation, to congratulate François."

"François has much to say musically," said Elizabeth Buccheri, Solti Foundation Artistic and Awards Committee Chair. "He continues to strengthen his communication and storytelling skills with both the orchestra and audience with every performance. We are excited to watch as his career in the operatic and orchestral fields grows. Congratulations!"

"I am overwhelmed with gratitude for the great honor of receiving the Sir Georg Solti Conducting Award," López-Ferrer said. "Over the course of the last three years, the unwavering support of the Solti Foundation U.S. has played a pivotal role in shaping my artistic journey, facilitated the refinement of my craft, and enabled me to evolve as an artist. This award stands as a testament to Maestro Solti's enduring legacy of musical excellence, serving as a powerful reminder of the heights of achievement to which we can aspire as the next generation of musical leaders. This recognition profoundly inspires me to further cultivate my artistic vision and commitment to breathing life into the timeless masterpieces of the past while championing the voices of the present and future. I am profoundly moved and deeply grateful for the opportunity to continue my artistic journey with passion and dedication. I extend my heartfelt thanks to the Solti Foundation U.S. for their invaluable support and belief in my potential."

López-Ferrer returns to Cincinnati on May 25, to conduct the May Festival Chorus and Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra in Julia Wolfe's Her Story and Gabriel Fauré's Requiem; learn more.

Previous recipients of the Sir Georg Solti Conducting Award include Keitaro Harada, Earl Lee, Gemma New, Aram Demirjian, Yaniv Dinur, Roderick Cox, Christopher Allen (MM Orchestral Conducting, '11), Karina Canellakis, Vladimir Kulenovic, Cristian Macelaru, James Feddeck, Case Scaglione, Eric Nielsen, and Anthony Barrese.

The Foundation has diligently helped American conductors in the early stages of their careers for over two decades. Recipients of the Sir Georg Solti Conducting Award may use the financial portion of the grant in various ways to specifically advance his/her career, whether it be further studies, language study, purchases of scores, or travel. The Foundation's Board of Directors comprises experts from all areas of the classical music industry, and therefore the Award also brings door-opening introductions within the industry and valuable access to professional mentors; learn more.

Spanish-American conductor François López-Ferrer, Resident Conductor of the Opéra de Paris's Académie, formerly served as the Associate Conductor of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and May Festival.

Upcoming engagements include debuts at the Hollywood Bowl with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, at the May Festival with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, and with Opéra de Paris conducting a new production of Haydn's L'isola disabitata.

Past guest engagements include such prestigious US orchestras as the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Rochester, Colorado Springs, and Sacramento Philharmonics, the Omaha, Tucson, Pasadena, and Ohio Valley Symphonies, and the Colorado Music Festival. International engagements include the Hong Kong Philharmonic, Switzerland's Sinfonietta de Lausanne and Opéra de Lausanne, Italy's Orchestra di Padova e del Veneto, France's Ensemble intercontemporain, Spain's Orquesta de Valencia, Orquesta Nacional de España, Orquesta Sinfónica de Galicia, and Orquesta Sinfónica Radio Televisión Española, and Romania's George Enescu Philharmonic. López-Ferrer was also featured in in the League of American Orchestra's prestigious 2022 Bruno Walter National Conductor Preview alongside the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra.

Former posts include Associate Conductor of the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Chile and Principal Conductor of the Ballet Nacional Chileno. An inaugural apprentice of the Verbier Festival's 2018 Conductor Mentorship Program, López-Ferrer is a two-time recipient of a Career Assistance Award from the Solti Foundation U.S., and winner of the inaugural 2015 Neeme Järvi Prize at the Menuhin-Gstaad Festival. Learn more on his professional website.

Curt Whitacre| Director of Marketing/Communications| UC College-Conservatory of Music

[email protected]| 513-556-2683