Kent Nagano is renowned for his interpretations' clarity, elegance, and intelligence. He is considered one of the most excellent conductors of our time.

Born in California, he took piano lessons at a young age, played viola in his teacher's orchestra and conducted a youth choir ateight. After studying at the University of Santa Cruz and then in San Francisco, he was hired by the Boston Opera.

His first successes in the United States and his meeting with Messiaen opened the doors to Europe. In 1988, he became Music Director of the Opéra de Lyon Orchestra, a position he has held for several ensembles throughout his career: the Hallé Orchestra, the Los Angeles Opera, the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin (as an Honorary Conductor), the Bayerische Staatsoper (the Bavarian State Opera), the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal (the Montreal Symphony Orchestra) of which he is Conductor Emeritus, and the Staatsoper Hamburg (the Hamburg State Opera) for the 8th season in 2023. At the same time, he has been invited by prestigious orchestras around the world to perform a wide range of repertoires from Mozart to contemporary composers, and the 2022-23 season is no exception.

Nagano is passionate about bringing new music to audiences worldwide and offers a fresh perspective on established repertoires. He has commissioned several works and recorded over 100 CDs or DVDs for various labels.