conductor
François-Xavier Roth
François-Xavier Roth is one of today’s most imaginative conductors and programmers, whether in his roles as General Music Director of the City of Cologne and founder of Les Siècles, or with leading orchestras such as the London Symphony Orchestra, of which he is Principal Guest Conductor.
He is a charismatic and persuasive advocate for classical music of every description. In Cologne, where he has directed both the Gürzenich Orchestra and the Opera since 2015, his programming is notable for its breadth and depth, including new commissions alongside Baroque and romantic music.
His sense of musical exploration led him in 2003 to found Les Siècles, which performs contrasting
programmes on modern and period instruments, often within the same concert. Projects have included recreating the original sound of Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring, Ravel’s Daphnis et Chloé and Debussy’s Pelléas et Mélisande. In 2022 they took up their new residency at Théâtre des Champs-Élysées. Currently, Les Siècles are celebrating their 20th anniversary with a series of European tours.
Roth is a champion of new music and has premiered works by Georg-Friedrich Haas and Hèctor Parra, and collaborated with composers such as Pierre Boulez, Wolfgang Rihm, Jörg Widmann, Helmut Lachenmann and Philippe Manoury.
His television series Presto! attracted weekly audiences of over three million in France.
Roth’s prolific award-winning discography includes the complete tone poems of Richard Strauss, Stravinsky ballets, Ravel and Berlioz cycles, Bruckner, Mahler and Schumann symphonies, and albums commemorating Debussy’s centenary. He was awarded the German Record Critics’ Honorary Prize in 2020, and was made a Chevalier of the Légion d’honneur.
In June 2016, François-Xavier Roth made his first appearance as guest conductor with he Concertgebouw Orchestra. In January 2020 he returned for a programme with works by Lully, Rameau, Händel, Gluck and Mozart.
François-Xavier Roth is one of today’s most imaginative conductors and programmers, whether in his roles as General Music Director of the City of Cologne and founder of Les Siècles, or with leading orchestras such as the London Symphony Orchestra, of which he is Principal Guest Conductor.
He is a charismatic and persuasive advocate for classical music of every description. In Cologne, where he has directed both the Gürzenich Orchestra and the Opera since 2015, his programming is notable for its breadth and depth, including new commissions alongside Baroque and romantic music.
His sense of musical exploration led him in 2003 to found Les Siècles, which performs contrasting
programmes on modern and period instruments, often within the same concert. Projects have included recreating the original sound of Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring, Ravel’s Daphnis et Chloé and Debussy’s Pelléas et Mélisande. In 2022 they took up their new residency at Théâtre des Champs-Élysées. Currently, Les Siècles are celebrating their 20th anniversary with a series of European tours.
Roth is a champion of new music and has premiered works by Georg-Friedrich Haas and Hèctor Parra, and collaborated with composers such as Pierre Boulez, Wolfgang Rihm, Jörg Widmann, Helmut Lachenmann and Philippe Manoury.
His television series Presto! attracted weekly audiences of over three million in France.
Roth’s prolific award-winning discography includes the complete tone poems of Richard Strauss, Stravinsky ballets, Ravel and Berlioz cycles, Bruckner, Mahler and Schumann symphonies, and albums commemorating Debussy’s centenary. He was awarded the German Record Critics’ Honorary Prize in 2020, and was made a Chevalier of the Légion d’honneur.
In June 2016, François-Xavier Roth made his first appearance as guest conductor with he Concertgebouw Orchestra. In January 2020 he returned for a programme with works by Lully, Rameau, Händel, Gluck and Mozart.
François-Xavier Roth is one of today’s most imaginative conductors and programmers, whether in his roles as General Music Director of the City of Cologne and founder of Les Siècles, or with leading orchestras such as the London Symphony Orchestra, of which he is Principal Guest Conductor.
He is a charismatic and persuasive advocate for classical music of every description. In Cologne, where he has directed both the Gürzenich Orchestra and the Opera since 2015, his programming is notable for its breadth and depth, including new commissions alongside Baroque and romantic music.
His sense of musical exploration led him in 2003 to found Les Siècles, which performs contrasting
programmes on modern and period instruments, often within the same concert. Projects have included recreating the original sound of Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring, Ravel’s Daphnis et Chloé and Debussy’s Pelléas et Mélisande. In 2022 they took up their new residency at Théâtre des Champs-Élysées. Currently, Les Siècles are celebrating their 20th anniversary with a series of European tours.
Roth is a champion of new music and has premiered works by Georg-Friedrich Haas and Hèctor Parra, and collaborated with composers such as Pierre Boulez, Wolfgang Rihm, Jörg Widmann, Helmut Lachenmann and Philippe Manoury.
His television series Presto! attracted weekly audiences of over three million in France.
Roth’s prolific award-winning discography includes the complete tone poems of Richard Strauss, Stravinsky ballets, Ravel and Berlioz cycles, Bruckner, Mahler and Schumann symphonies, and albums commemorating Debussy’s centenary. He was awarded the German Record Critics’ Honorary Prize in 2020, and was made a Chevalier of the Légion d’honneur.
In June 2016, François-Xavier Roth made his first appearance as guest conductor with he Concertgebouw Orchestra. In January 2020 he returned for a programme with works by Lully, Rameau, Händel, Gluck and Mozart.