Hardly had he unpacked his bags in Nice, and Lionel Bringuier is already setting his sights on new horizons! After two successful seasons at the helm of the Nice Philharmonic Orchestra, the conductor is preparing to leave his native city once again to take up the baton as Music Director of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra of Liège, starting in September 2025.
At just 38 years old, Lionel Bringuier already boasts an impressive career. In 2005, aged only 15 years old, he won the prestigious Besançon International Competition for Young Conductors. Two years later, he flew off to Los Angeles, where he was appointed Assistant Conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, working alongside the celebrated Venezuelan maestro Gustavo Dudamel.
Following stints in Spain and Zurich, Bringuier returned to Nice in 2019, first as Associate Conductor of the Nice Philharmonic, and later rising to Principal Conductor in 2023. In January 2024, he announced his upcoming move to Liège.
Under the evocative title “Lionel Bringuier: A Shared Passion”, the RPHO and its future Music Director are preparing to explore a rich repertoire together, focusing on French masters (Ravel, Dukas, Roussel), Russian giants (Tchaikovsky, Stravinsky), and Ukrainian legend (Prokofiev) — a programme that promises true artistic synergy between conductor and orchestra.
As Bringuier himself puts it: “With the RPHO, I instantly felt we were speaking the same language, that we shared a common identity and the same way of thinking about music.”
Exciting new projects are already on the horizon — including a series of concerts dedicated to the Modern Classical movement, featuring prominent figures like Max Richter and Belgian ensemble Echo Collective, injecting a breath of fresh air into the orchestra’s future seasons.
But before settling into the “Cité ardente”, Bringuier will offer one last enchanted interlude in Nice, conducting the Philharmonic Orchestra on 29 and 30 July 2025 at the Auditorium du Parc du Château de Florans. On the programme: Tchaikovsky and Mussorgsky with Bruce Liu at the piano, followed the next day by a performance with Bertrand Chamayou, joining Bringuier for Ravel’s piano concertos — with the iconic Boléro to top it all off. A fitting tribute in this Ravel anniversary year!
To attend those concerts in Nice, click here!
Lionel Bringuier – c – ORPL Website
