Assistant conductor
In 2022, the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande created the position of assistant conductor to give young talent the opportunity to work in close proximity with the musical and artistic director and the orchestra to prepare the programme of concerts, recordings, operas as well as tours, and to acquire a precious experience in the management of an orchestra. Since 2024, the OSR has decided to reserve the position of assistant conductor for talented women only.
Current Assistant Conductor
Zofia Kiniorska is a Polish conductor. In 2021 she earned her Master of Arts degree in Symphony and Opera Conducting at the Frederic Chopin University of Music in Warsaw, Poland. She has been appointed assistant conductor of the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande for the 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons.
Since 2022, Zofia Kiniorska has been conducting the Symphony Orchestra of ZPSM1 in Warsaw. Recently she has been assisting maestro Jacek Kaspszyk in preparing the premiere production of G. Verdi's Otello, directed by David Pountney at the Poznań Opera House. In the 2022-23 artistic season, Zofia Kiniorska was a Resident Conductor of the Sinfonia Varsovia. On December 31, 2022, she made her debut at the Warsaw Philharmonic, conducting the New Year's Eve Concert with soprano Iwona Sobotka. Zofia Kiniorska has had the opportunity to conduct various orchestras, such as the Warsaw Philharmonic, Orchestra Sinfonia Varsovia, among others. She also worked with the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra (NOSPR) in Katowice during the of masterclass with Marin Alsop in 2021.
Winner of numerous awards, she won the 2nd Prize and the Special Award from the Chamber Orchestra at the 3rd Adam Kopyciński National Competition for Students of Conducting in Wrocław, Poland, she was awarded the Audience Prize during Conductor’s Academy with Paavo Jarvi and Tonhalle Orchester Zurich, and was also a semifinalist in the 17th Donatella Flick Conducting Competition with the London Symphony Orchestra.
The position
The successful candidate will be offered a position as assistant conductor of the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande for the 2024-25 season starting on 12 August 2024 as part of a conductor training.
As part of a conductor training programme, the aim of the proposed position as assistant conductor of the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande is to prepare the candidate for her future career as a conductor and/or music director. The programme includes work with the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande and its musical & artistic director, the development of outreach projects, as well as an introduction to the different functions that support the musicians of the Orchestra, e.g. awareness of production set-up, orchestra equipment, music library, communication, box office & audience development, and operating costs.
Main activities
Musical activites with the orchestra
- Assist the Music and Artistic Director and guest conductors during rehearsals, concerts, recordings, tours and the recruitment of musicians.
- Assist the Music and Artistic Director of the OSR in productions at the Grand Théâtre de Genève.
- Prepare and conduct a series of concerts for young audiences or families, with commentary in French.
Activities related to the Orchestra
- Participate in cultural activities, e.g. conducting workshops, career days and conferences.
- Assist the artistic department, especially in the guidance of soloists and guest conductors
- Attend meetings of the artistic committee.
Orchestral management
- Attend OSR management training days (15 to 20 days during the season).
- Introduction to the work of different departments: librarian, artist management, orchestra management (administrative and technical parts), communication, fundraising (sponsoring and patronage) and administrative & financial management.
- Introduction to programming for young audiences.
Other functions to be defined pending discussion with the orchestra's management.
with the support of
Assistant Conductors
Ana María Patiño-Osorio is the first Assistant Conductor for the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons.
Born in Colombia in 1995, Ana María Patiño-Osorio completed her Bachelors in conducting at the Universidad EAFIT in Medellin, then graduated from the Masters programme of Orchestral Conducting at the Zürcher Hochschule der Künste as a student of Johannes Schlaefli in 2021.
In the same year she won the National Prize for best Conductor of the Orquesta Filarmónica de Bogotá. Finalist of the Solti International Conducting Competition in 2020, she has also participated in the Tanglewood Festival, and in masterclasses with Herbert Bloomsted, Matthias Pintscher, Bernard Haitink, amongst others. In 2024, she took second place in the Malko Competition, as well as the Audience Prize and the Special Youth Jury Prize.
Find here the whole biography of Ana María Patiño-Osorio.
On her experience at the competition, Patiño-Osorio says “I think something wonderful about the audition was that we played a lot of pieces from Mozart to Webern, and then Jarrell which is very new. From the beginning I have the feeling they want to see a lot of styles, a lot of music…”.
What impressed Jonathan Nott about our winner? “A mix of her ability to conduct, to communicate and the charm with which she engaged each of the musicians. She created a real chamber music atmosphere within the orchestra.”